twilight with a twist
by SpeakLaurieHalseAnderson
Summary: Bella swan is a 17 year old girl, who's been deaf since birth. She moves to forks and falls in love with Edward Cullen. No one knows she's deaf because she has learned to read lips perfectly (even fast moving ones) and is able to speak perfectly. full summery inside normal pairings :) xxx
1. PREFERENCE :)

_**I don't own twilight all rights; characters and plot lines belong to Stephanie Meyer. I'm just having some fun. I will update every day or two ;) so this is basally twilight with a little twist please, please review.**_

_**Summary: Bella swan is a 17 year old girl, who's been deaf since birth. She moves to forks and falls in love with Edward Cullen. No one knows she's deaf because she has learned to read lips perfectly (even fast moving ones) and is able to speak perfectly. But as she falls more and more for Edward she finds out his secret and doesn't realize the more involved she gets with the supernatural world the more risk she puts on herself and her loved ones.**_

_**Preference**_

He looked down at me with hate and pain in his eyes, like he smelt something revolting. I was pretty sure it was going to be impossible to look away from this strange god-like creature's glare of pain. His eyes were blacker then black, black as coal, black as knight I could feel them burning holes in my back at I slid my hair off of my shoulder and used it as a curtain to try to block out this strange boys behavior all the while fighting back angry tears from escaping down my cheek…

_**Heyy guys thank you for reading my twilight twist hope you like it please review, like or hate? Should I continue? ;)xxx;)**_

_**RLA ;)**_


	2. Chapter 1: BEING BRAVE, AND MOVING ON :)

CHAPTER 1:

BEINNG BRAVE, AND MOVEING ON

I've learned to live with being deaf, of coerce I envy those who can but I've had 17 years to deal with it there is no way for me to ever here ever it's a lost cause I've been home-schooled all my life now I'm being forced to move in with my dad, Charlie to forks my mom is no longer . . . here. Tears stung my eyes at the thought of my mother but I healed them back I have to be strong.

I'm not going to be home-schooled this time though new place new me, since I was 7 I've been practising lip reading and I have nailed it I'm also very good at speaking so no one will know I'm deaf. I don't want people to ignore me, or give me the pity looks I just want to be normal or as normal as I can be.

My name is Isabella Marie Swan, call me Bella I'm 17, 5,5 plain brown hair and eyes with pail skin. I'm moving to forks because my m-mom it's still too hard to talk about. I was pulled out of my thoughts when I realized the plane landed. I walked off and got my bag and found Charlie.

On the way home we exchanged awkward small talk finally were at the house. ''what's that'' I asked staring excitingly at an old rusty red Chevy truck that was parked in the drive way.

He looked at me sheepishly ''well I bought it for you as a home coming present I knew you wouldn't want to go to school in the police cruiser. Do you like it?'' I read on his lips

''Yeah dad I love it'' I exclaimed. He eyed me suspiciously but nodded anyway.

''you hungry I could order a pizza?'' he asked. ''no I'm just going to go to bed long flight'' I answered and yawned dreading the next day my first day ever at a public school. I just wish my mom would be here to help give me some advice and encouragement. That's when I let the tears fall.

This was going to be a long lonely two years.

_**Review, review, review pretty please how do you like it (or not). Should I continue? ;)xxx**_

_**RLA;)xxx**_


	3. Chapter 2: FIRST SIGHT :)

**Chapter 2:FIRST SIGHT**

I awoke the next morning to Charlie shacking me, I pried my sleepy eyes open to see him saying ''bells wake up'' I nodded and smiled at my nick name. After he left I grabbed my cloths and headed to the shower.

After I got dressed and dried my hair I went downstairs to find a note left by Charlie

_Bells_

_Left for work, be home around 6, _

_Good luck today_

_Love_

_Dad _

I grabbed a granola bar, and headed off to school. I didn't know where it was but after a while I found a red brick building with a big sign saying _Forks High School_ I pulled in and headed to the office. I was meat with a redheaded woman with round glasses ''can I help you'' she asked with a smile. ''I'm Isabella Swan'' I replied ''oh of coerce Isabella welcome to forks high. Here's your timetable'' she handed it to me I nodded and headed off to English.

The next few classes were uneventful before I knew it I was sitting down at lunch with Jessica who is in both my trig and Spanish classes. I was picking at my lunch when I noticed _them_. There were 5 of them, sitting at a table in the corner, they weren't talking just staring off into space, they all had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They didn't look alike but yet they were exactly the same Cole black eyes, paler then snow skin and absolutely perfect features.

There were three boys, one of them was massive not fat or anything but muscly he had really big muscles and dark curly hair. The other boy was taller and leaner but yet still had muscles and honey blond hair. The last boy was less muscly but still had them he had untidy bronze hair.

One of the two girls was short almost pixie like she had black cropped spikey hair and a lovely figure. The other girl looked like a super model she was tall with long blond hair that went down to her back she made every girl in the room feel a pang of jealousy towards her. They were all inhumanly beautiful. I noticed the pixie girl get up with her tray full of food and trough it away that's weird I couldn't help but notice how graceful she was.

''who are they'' I whispered to Jessica. She followed my gaze and nodded in understanding as to why id be coureous. When Jessica looked at them the bronze haired boy razed his head it almost looked like an involuntary response as if someone called his name. I turned back and blushed I looked at Jessica and I guessed she was giggling then she answered my question.

''that's Edward and Emmet Cullen and Rosalie and Jasper hale the one that left is Alice Cullen'' she explained. I nodded they don't look related.

''Have they always lived in forks' 'I asked. I don't remember ever seeing them here on one of my summer visits here.

''no they moved here 2 years ago from somewhere in Alaska I think'' she explained. I nodded.

I looked at them again and was met with a dazzling pair of eyes from the boy with the bronze hair he was looking at me right in the eye; I immediately looked away and blushed. ''which one is the boy with the bronze hair'' I whispered

''that's Edward Cullen he's gourdes obviously but don't waste your time apparently none of the girls here are good enough for him'' she explained flipping her brown curls over her shoulder. _Well someone's jealous _I thought_ wonder when he turned her down _I added.

A few minutes later everyone got up so I'm assuming that the bell rung I got up and made my way to biology. Great wonder what that will be like I thought as I made my way down the corridor.

**There you have it chapter 2 ill update later or tomorrow. Anyway please review. Like or hate? REVIEW ;) next chap we meet a glaring Eddie. Sorry for any spelling mistakes I may have made it's hard to get em all ;) xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**

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	4. Chapter 3: CRY :)

**Chapter 3: CRY**

I walked into biology and noticed the only empty seat was nest to none other than Edward Cullen. I internally groaned he must think I'm the weirdo who's been staring at him for the hole of lunch . . . well I am but it's not my fault there all weirdly beautiful.

I passed the desk and noticed he stopped breathing and stiffened up clenching his fists tightly together I went up to Mr banner and introduced myself to him he told me to sit down and being me I tripped but caught myself on the desk got back up and sat down beside the now glaring Edward.

He looked down at me with hate and pain in his eyes, like he smelt something revolting. I was pretty sure it was going to be impossible to look away from this strange god-like creature's glare of pain. His eyes were blacker then black, black as coal, black as knight I could feel them burning holes in my back at I slid my hair off of my shoulder and used it as a curtain to try to block out this strange boys behaviour all the while fighting back angry tears from escaping down my cheek.

Suddenly he got up really fast and basally ran out of the room then I noticed everyone else get up and I realised the bell must have rung and packed up my things. I stood to go and was meat with a baby faced boy with blond hair. ''hi your Isabella right, I'm Mike'' he said.

''it's Bella, hi Mike'' I replied

''ok Bella, what do you have next I could show you where it is'' he offered smiling.

''thanks but I have gym I think I can find it'' I said not wanting to make him late for class.

''really I have gym to we can walk together'' he beamed at me. I nodded and we started walking.

''did you poke Cullen with a pencil or something I've never seen him act like that before'' I read on his lips as we got to the gym doors. I decided to play dumb.

''is that who I was sitting beside I don't know we didn't talk'' I said

''well if I were lucky enough to have sat beside you I would have talked to you'' he assured. I nodded, smiling and walked away. Since it was my first day I got to sit out. This is good since we were playing volleyball and well me and any sport or flat surface is a disaster waiting to happen.

After school I went to the office to return the slip I had to get my teachers sign. When I walked in there I almost walked right back out of there because Edward Cullen was having a very intense conversation with the receptionist I just kept my head down. Someone opened the door and a wind drift in causing me to shiver and my hair to blow into my face Edward tensed up turned around and full on glared at me before saying something else and storming out still glairing.

I felt tears spike my eyes, I've been very emotional lately since my mom… no stop don't even think of it Bella I scolded myself. What did I do to him to make him hate me so much? I couldn't think of anything. I gave her the slip I think she said something but I didn't pay attention. I ran full speed to the truck not caring who saw once I was in there I let the tears fall, I cried the hole way home once I was home I left a note saying ii was exhausted and not hungry. Then I went upstairs and cried myself to sleep. I cried for me, for dad, for Jessica, for Mike, for Edward and most of all I cried for my mom.

**There you have it chapter 3 ill update as soon as I can, review people I need reviews * PUPPY DOG FACE* please review next chapter Edward returns and drama ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**


	5. Chapter 4: ANGELA :)

**Chapter 4: ANGELA**

Edward didn't come into school for the rest of the week, but his family did. I couldn't help but feel like it was my fault. Apart from that the weak was ordinary I fell over in gym and brought two people down with me I did a lot of food shopping since I learned Charlie can't cook at all and on Saturday I got invited to go to first beach at la push next week.

It's now Monday and as I walk into the cafeteria I stop dead in my tracks as I see 5 people at the Cullen table not good, I sit down next to Jessica trying to distract myself so I look around for a distraction when I notice something I never did before in the corner of the cafeteria at a table by herself sat a girl with tanned skin and glasses reading a book she looked so lonely.

''who's she'' I asked Jessica

She saw who I was looking at and scrawled ''that's Angela weber total freak'' she said I couldn't believe what I was hearing how could Jessica be so cruel

''Yeah she's a complete creep'' mike added I saw everyone at the table nod in agreement

''and why is she a freaky creep'' I asked sweetly.

The next 3 words that left Jessica's mouth had me fuming and seeing red. Just the three words ''because she's deaf'' I noticed Mike, Eric and Lauren snicker.

''what the hell is wrong with you people'' I said a little too loud because a few tables turned to stare at me. The table looked at me in shock it was the loudest thing I ever said or argued.

''You guys are ignoring and teasing her because she's deaf that's like one of the worst things I've ever herd you guys can count me out for that stupid trip to the beach if any of you ever try to talk to me ever so help me . . . and if I ever hear anyone ever talking bad about her again that will be the last time you say anything ever again'' I said in an hushed whisper so only the table could hear. They nodded looking scared shitless.

I got up and made my way over to Angelia looking back they still looked pale and scared ''wow I'm not that scary am I'' I murmured out of the corner of my eye I saw the Cullen's apart from Rosalie In the hysterics laughing. I blushed at the thought of them hearing me.

I tapped Angela on the shoulder and she turned ''hi I'm Bella do you mind if I sit here'' I signed gesturing to the chair ''go ahead'' she said. Weight she can talk? ''you can talk'' I signed she nodded ''yes I'm an expert and I'm pretty good at lip reading so you don't have to sign, how do you know sign language I'm Angelia by the way'' she blabbered on nervously

I smiled ''I used to know someone who was deaf so I picked it up from them'' I explained it's a lie but I might tell her some time ''what are you reading?'' I asked weathering heights she held up ''I love weathering heights, pride and prejudice Romeo and Juliet and basally all the old classics'' I said

Then I noticed people getting up ''common the bell went'' I said to her. Turns out she had bio with me so we walked together, I took a beep breath as I entered and was met with a pair of dazzling topaz eyes.

**There it is please review and ill post next chapter tomorrow. Ok Eddies back next chapter they talk ;) PLEASE REVIEW ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**


	6. Chapter 5: BIOLOGY CLASS :)

**Chapter 5: BIOLOGY CLASS**

I sat down and tried to ignore him and after a minute I realised he was talking ''. . . Cullen. I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan'' he asked. For a minute I wondered how he knew to call me Bella but I let it slide. Instead I lamely nodded, confused he didn't seem angry or mad at me what was wrong with him last week?

I looked at Mr Banner to see him say ''get started'' it was only then did I notice the microscope and the slides on the desk. I cheered internally I've already done this with my . . . . Mom. I sucked in a breath at the pain I was feeling form just the thought of her. I looked up to see Edward looking concerned he wasn't concerned about me was he? No must be something else.

''Are you ok'' maybe he was concerned . . . about me, But why?

''oh em yeah, Ill . . . go first'' I suggested. He nodded and gestured for me to go ahead.

''Prophase'' I announced after a quick examination. I started taking away the slide when a hard cold hand landed on mine I instantly jerked away but not because his hand was like an ice block but because I felt this weird electric shock fun through me. He looked at me apologetically why was he sorry?

''do you mind if I look?'' he asked and I realised he wanted to check to see if I was right. I gestured for him to go ahead.

''Anaphase'' he announced.

''May I'' I knew he was probably right but I could still hope, couldn't I?

He smiled and slid the microscope over towards me. I looked and damn he was right. Not looking up I asked for the next slide it looked like

''Interphase' 'I muttered. He checked and nodded his approval.

We finished the lab and I realised we were the only ones done.

''That was really nice of you to stick up for Angela at lunch'' he suddenly said smiling.

''I don't know why people ignore her she's deaf she's not going to bite'' I replied still annoyed at how people treated her. He turned his head and smiled like he had an inside joke or something.

''I know, most people wouldn't have done that'' he acknowledged.

''yeah I know but I'm not most people'' I replied.

''I'm beginning to see that'' his lips moving really fast I wasn't sure if I could hear I would have caught it.

After that there was an awkward silence well I'm always in science but you know what I mean. I was staring ahead when I noticed Mr Banner approach our table proudly wondering why we weren't working.

''so Edward'' he started. ''didn't you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?'' I was getting angry did he think I was somehow unable to do this?

''Bella'' Edward corrected. ''actually she identified three of the five'' he defended. I don't think Mr Banner believed him.

He looked at me confused. ''did you do this lab before?'' he asked

''not with onion root'' I clarified.

''whitefish blastula'' he guessed. I nodded. He looked really surprised by this.

''were you in an advanced placement class in phoenix'' he asked I shrugged.

''I was home-schooled in phoenix'' I said sadly feeling the pain as I thought of my loving mother.

''well I guess it's good you too are lab partners'' he said perching his lips then he said ''so the other kids can get a chance to learn something for themselves'' the way he said it you could tell ears wouldn't be able to pick it up.

''how do you like forks so far'' Edward asked after a minute of no one talking.

I sighed I'm a bad liar so I decided the truth was best ''to be honest I hate it, I hate the rain and the cold, I just hate it here'' I blabbered out. _Please don't ask why I moved, please don't ask why I moved, _I chanted in my head but of coerce he asked.

''well then why did you move here'' I couldn't tell him, I can't tell anybody it still hurts just to think about my mom I felt tears spike my eyes but I held them in.

''Bella are you ok'' he asked concerned.

''Yeah . . . '' then I saw everyone getting up so I grabbed my stuff and ran as if my life depended on it. In gym I wasn't paying attention I just kept thinking, was I wrong about Edward? He didn't seem so bad today, was I just imagining it? maybe.

Once I was in my truck I let the silent tears fall. On the outside apart from the tears I would seem perfectly fine, but on the inside I was tearing apart, I felt eyes on me and I looked up to be met with three sets of eyes, Alice and Edward were looking at me concerned and confused while jasper looked like he was in severe pain. I mean he always looked like he was in pain, but this was different kind of pain I couldn't help but wonder what I would look like if I let my pain show.

When I got home I made dinner. Charlie could tell something was wrong but he didn't say anything he wasn't the feeling type he knew it was about mom it's always about mom. When I finally fell asleep I dreamed about one of the two people I was trying not to think about, but this was much worse than a dream, worse than me realizing what deaf was realizing that I was different, worse than when I almost drowned when I was eight or when I fell down stairs and broke some bones. Yes, this was much; mush worse than any of those because this was my worst memory.

**This chapter is longer than the others and they **_**will**_** get even longer. I start back at school tomorrow, but I **_**will **_**update tomorrow . . . so review please. Next chapter we find out how her mom died. And I know I'm really bad at naming the chapters so if you have any suggestions for a better name for any chapters ill change em ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**

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	7. Chapter 6: DREAM :)

**Chapter 6: DREAM**

_I was sitting on the front porch weighting for mom to get back from the store to take me to swimming lessons, I've always wanted to learn but when I was eight I almost drowned and it put me off water. I sighed board and looked at my watch for the third time in five minutes 3:11(pm).__** Where is she? She was meant to be home twenty minutes ago**__. I thought to myself wondering what the hold-up was. __**Maybe a big line at the store**__, __**or car broke down, ran into friend and didn't realize the time.**__ I was listing off ideas when I fell into a light dreamless slumber._

_I was awoken by someone shacking my shoulder __**whew she's finally home. **__I thought to myself, but when I opened my eyes I was confused to be met with two police officers_

''_may I help you'' I inquired it was then I looked at my watch and saw it was 5:56 (pm). I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat as one of the two police officers spoke ''yes, are you Isabella Swan'' ''yes, is this about my mom'' they didn't say anything ''wh-where's m-my mom'' I said a bit loader''_

''_I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but there's been an accident a drunk driver crashed and caused a major accident 12 people died and I'm sorry we believe one of the people who died is your mother we need you to come to the morgue and identify the body'' I think that's what he said my eyes were fuzzy with tears. I started sobbing uncontrollably_

_The scene changed now I was in the morgue after seeing 4 dead and mangled bodies that were not my mother and I picked up that fifth sheet and . . . ._

''AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH'' I screamed as I jerked up in the bed panting and sweating, tears running down my face. That's the second time I've dreamed that memory since that day. Hard to believe it happened only 2 months ago. It seems my screams didn't wake up Charlie, which was good. I looked at my clock 6:30 I groaned great, won't be able to fall asleep again anyway.

I got to school a little earlier than normal but it was still busy, and I even drove slower due to the fresh lair of thin ice on the road. I parked my truck in the nearest space to the door so I would have less of a chance of seeing any of the Cullen's after my brake down yesterday which they clearly saw.

I got out of my truck and looked unconsciously at the silver Volvo which was parked a good few cars down with Edward and Alice standing in front of it. Alice's expression suddenly went blank and then horror struck a second later Edward's face held the same horror look as they looked at _me _and then to my right and back again. I followed their gaze to see Taylor's van a few inches away skidding sideways on the ice heading straight at me.

I closed my eyes sucked in a breath and was trying to pre pare for the massive impact I would be feeling in a few seconds, something hard and cold hit me but not from my front where I was expecting the impact but from my side, I crashed to the ground and barely registered that I hit my head. I felt the cold hard ground beneath me and attempted to get up but a cold hand pushed me back down. It was then I realised I was not on the ground but in a stone hard freezing embrace.

My eyes were still closed when someone started shacking me violently. I pried my eyes open to see a very concerned expression. ''what the . . .'' I started but was cut off.

''Bella are you ok I was calling you for a while but you were acting like you couldn't hear me'' he said. I rolled my eyes at him and tried sitting up but he wouldn't let me ''be careful you hit your head really hard'' he tried reasoning.

I sighed ''Edward really I'm fine'' I argued then I felt the throbbing pain I'm my head ''ow'' I wined rubbing my head

''That's what I thought'' he laughed. I scrawled.

''how in the . . .'' I remembered how far he was away from me and now he's over here '' how did you get over here so fast'' his mood darkened.

''I was standing right beside you Bella'' he was lying, why would he lie?

''no you were next to your car across the lot'' my words were slurring a bit, weight why was I slurring?

''Bella are you ok'' he was panicking now

''of coerce silly oh and don't take me to hospital I can't go back there'' I mumbled before the world went black

**Ok, Ok I no its bad and short but I'm tiered sorry :( but really what kind of teachers give homework the very first day back and a lot of it as well :( I don't know if I'll be able to update tomorrow I know I'm sorry . . . again. ill update sometime on Friday. what do you think in the ballet studio should the change happen? Or will Edward save her? Please tell me what you think. Ill go b4 I pass out on the laptop ;)xxx**


	8. Chapter 7: HOSPITAL :)

_**So sorry for the delay, Its explained at the bottom ;)xxx**_

**Chapter 7: HOSPITAL**

I awoke to a blinding light I groaned and blinked a few times, it was only after a minute of looking at the blank ceiling that I remembered the accident and I realized where I was. HOSPITAL! I started panicking I said I would never go to ant hospital _EVER_ again. I hadn't been in one since . . . my mom, I blacked out when I saw her and hit my head, I was out for two days and I had to stay for another two days until her funeral .

I didn't sleep for one minute in that hospital, I was extremely tired but I couldn't sleep, not after losing my mother, the image of her mangled blood-stained body stuck in my head as well as the other woman's . Just knowing they were here in the same hospital. as I knew I wasn't the only grieving family member. Couldn't I have just been taken with my mom instead of being left on this earth with my only relative living in a place I hate. I rarely ever saw my dad, he doesn't know how to text *rolling eyes*, and I obviously can't talk on the phone so we hadn't talked in years.

Couldn't I have gone, and saved one of the poor families who were feeling the same things as me. Greif, regret, pain, guilt it goes on for the next two weeks I stayed with my Nabors, they were just trying to be nice but I was depressed, having nightmares, crying for no reason and just acting like a zombie. They didn't know how to act around me- being deaf and depressed so I decided to go live with Charlie and completely forget about mom. I tried putting on a brave face but it's hard I tried to forget but I can't, I was doing an ok-ish. But now I'm back in a hospital all those memory's about my mom, about those woman I saw.

_Pale, _

_Eyes closed, _

_Brocken, _

_Blood,_

_Bruised,_

_Lifeless,_

The images kept spinning around in my head as I silently cried and rubbed my temples. Why can't I just get those images out of my head? Being in a hospital can't help.

''I need to get out of here'' I whispered to myself. I took a breath and carefully removed the IV from my arm. Fudges that hurt. I stepped out of bed, damn why do hospital gowns have no backs? I mean really, why? I started walking but me being me I fell. I was preparing for the impact but it never came. Instead familiar cold arms wrapped around me. I instantly felt safer, but weight why was Edward here? Oh no what if he was hurt? The thought of him getting hurt pained me. What was he doing to me? I've only known him for a few days, ugh. ''Bella what were you doing up'' Edward asked eyeing me suspiciously putting me back on my feet. '' I _am_ leaving this hospital'' I said stressing the _am _letting him know he was not going to stop me

''no you're not you have a concussion you blacked out for five hours, I think you should sit down'' he calmly suggested.

'' yes I am Edward, I've had loads of concussion's before, hell when I was 12 I fell down a marble staircase and you know what happened? I broke my right leg and wrist as well as both my arms, 5 ribs and I fractured my scull, I was out for two weeks. This is nothing, I've had way worse than just a concussion, and I'm not going to sit down I am leaving, I don't care what you say, you are not my dad where is he by the way because if he was here he would get me out of this horrible place. I hate hospitals I said I was never coming back to one of these places ever again and here I am'' by the end I was just muttering incoherent words all jumbled together. That was weird why did I just say all that to Edward he was just concerned about me, I instantly felt bad.

''Bella'' Edward asked carefully as I sat back down on the bead. I nodded. ''Why do you hate hospitals so much'' I took a shaky breath.

''Abut two months ago my mom died. This guy was really drunk he robbed a store and Stoll a truck to get away the cops were following him, he was speeding they told me he took the turn to sharply he was going to fast he went into the opposite lane an crashed head on into a few cars and more cars crashed into him.'' _I started crying now_ ''12 people died including him. My mom was one of them, I had to go to the hospital morgue and identify her body I saw 4 woman's bodies before hers I just can't get the images of what they looked like out of my head. it was getting a bit better but being in a hospital doesn't help '' by now I was hysterically sobbing. Edward was rubbing my back trying to calm me, after about ten minutes I calmed down there was an awkward moment with no one talking so I decided to get some answers.

''how did you get over to me so fast'' I felt him stiffen and I saw his eyes turn black. Wait. Did his eyes just change colour?

''what are you talking about? I was standing right next to you Bella'' he was lying. But why was he lying.

I shook my head '' no you were standing by your car across the lot'' I argued.

''Bella you hit your head, you don't know what you're talking about'' I was getting annoyed now.

'' I know what I saw'' did he really think I was stupid enough to fall for his lies.

''well nobody's going to believe you so'' he argued.

'' I never said I was going to tell anybody'' I defended

'' then why does it matter'' I was about to reply then a gust of wind came in I looked up to see a very panicking Charlie at the door. Edward got up and left silently. I sighed this was going to be a long night. I don't really know what's going on but one thing I do know is Edward Cullen had a secret and I was determined to find out what that secret was.

***********EPOV(EDWARD)***********

She's more observant than I thought, I would have to be more careful around her I know it's not long until she finds out what my secret was, but I knew she had a secret Alice couldn't see what it is because she's not planning on telling anyone but I was determent to find out what her secret was before she found out what a monster I am.

**I am so sorry but my laptop blew up really there were sparks and everything, so I had to get it fixed so it took a few days sorry :( **_**next thing: review answer this; should Edward**__**save Bella from James or should she become a vamp in the ballet studio?**_** I really don't think I'm a good writer but I have good twilight fan fiction ideas really I'd say I have around 50 ideas if anyone wants an idea for a twilight fanfic I don't mind. I love writing but I cut corners and my spelling . . . let's just leave it at that enough said ;)xxx oh and if I give you an idea feel free to change it all you want I really don't care ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**


	9. Chapter 8: CONFUSED :)

**Listen to the song at the bottom :)xxx**

**Chapter 8: CONFUSED**

The first week after the accident was to say the least annoying. Everyone and I mean _everyone _asked me if I was ok. Even people I've never talked to before and even MIKE NEWTON had the nerve to talk to me I was still mad so I pretended I couldn't hear him, well I didn't have to pretend so . . .

What is worse than mike talking to me is Edward not talking to me . . . at all, I mean he's full on ignoring me which, now a month after the accident is getting bad since I'm trying to figure out what he is, so far I've got nothing apart from the 6 observations I've made.

He is really fast

His skin is ice cold

His eyes change colour.

His features are perfect.

He is really strong.

He never eats or drinks anything.

My thoughts were interrupted when a very happy and a looked to be squealing Angelia sat down at the table.

''Bella, Bella guess what'' she was bouncing in her seat now. ''what'' I asked glad to have something to focus on apart from Edward since lately he's been in every thought and dream I've had and its worrying me.

''Ben asked me to the dance'' she rushed out blushing, I big smile spread across my face although she wouldn't admit it I knew she liked him.

''oh I'm so happy for you.'' I started '' Ben and you are perfect together'' I finished

''thanks will you go to port Angelis with me next Friday dress shopping.'' I agreed I needed to get some new books the selection in forks was not good, but I said I needed to ask Charlie first. . Realizing the bell went we got up and went to biology.

''so are you going to the dance'' she asked I froze. _Hell no!_ I thought.

''em no'' I blushed. Not saying any more. We were in bio now and I sat down ignoring Edward as he was me.

''why not? I'm sure someone will ask you, and if they don't you could always ask them I'm sure Mike wouldn't mind'' she joked. I glared, from the corner of my eye I saw Edward tilt his head in my direction. She knows how much I hate him.

'' I don't care if anyone would ask me, and I know they won't, I'd say no to everyone anyway, I'm not going to any dance with anyone ever, and no one will change my mind. And I'm going to Seattle that day anyway'' just as I finished talking Mr Banner started class and she walked off but I had a feeling this conversation wasn't over.

I felt eyes on me and I looked up to see Edward Intently staring at me, and I stared back. Until he straightened up and said ''the Kerbs cycle'' I realised he answered a question Mr Banner asked. I turned back to the top of the class and Edward went back to ignoring me.

He looked tense, like he was having an inner battle his eyes were closed, and he was concentrating hard on something, I kept looking forward trying not to think about this strange, mysterious boy. I felt his gaze on me so I used my hair as a Curtin so I wouldn't meet his eyes, because if I did I don't know if I could look away fast enough, or at all.

When the bell rang I gathered my stuff looking straight ahead, when I felt a cold hand on my arm. Did he notice the electricity too? Or was it just me? It was proubley just me. I turned to face him ''Bella'' he said looking confused and . . . hurt. Then it hit me he was talking to me but it looked like I was ignoring him. Then I remembered he's ignored me for weeks and I was angry. He just stared at me.

"What?" I finally said. "Are you speaking to me again?" I asked there was an edge to my tone.

"No, not really," he told me. What was that supposed to mean? I tried not to stare at his face apart from his lips because I needed to see what he was saying.

''Then what do you want, Edward?'' I said through gritted teeth wanting to leave but yet I had this weird yearning to stay but I shock that idea out of my head.

''I'm sorry,'' He apologised, for what? "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really." Now I was really confused.

''I don't know what you mean.'' I said warily.

''It's better if we're not friends.'' He started deadly serious. ''Trust me'' he added. I've heard that before. I clenched my teeth together.

"It's too bad you didn't figure that out earlier," I said angrily. ''You could have saved yourself all this regret.''

He looked at me shocked. ''Regret? Regret for what?'' he demanded.

"For not just letting that stupid van squish me!" he snapped.

He froze, stunned.

"You think I regret saving your life?" he demanded.

"I know you do," I retorted.

"You don't know anything." He snapped.

I slammed my books together in a pile, yanked them up into my arms, and marched toward the door without meeting his stare.

But me being me I tripped over the door frame all the books went flying, for a second I thought about just leaving them there, but then I sighed and bent down to get the books to my surprise, Edward was there he already had my books in a neat pile and e handed them to me.

"Thank you," I said in a cold, severe voice. I was still angry.

"You're welcome," he said just as coldly.

After gym I made my way to my truck when I saw someone leaning on it my heart thumped until I realised it was MIKE uh! I still hate him but I haven't heard them say anything bad after that day.

''Mike'' I acknowledged in a civilised voice.

''Heyy Bella listen I'm sorry about that thing with Angelia we really didn't mean it'' I couldn't tell if he was really sorry or not.

''Em ok'' I replied unsure of what to say.

''I was wondering if you would like to go to the spring dance with me'' I was livid he was only apologising to go to prom with me.

''are you serious right now Mike you don't talk to me in weeks, just creepily stare at me, do you think I didn't notice and you apologise now only because you want to go to the dance with ME!'' I shout Turing red in the face.

He looked like a deer caught in the head lights and turned red with embarrassment because a small crowd had gathered, when he didn't reply I huffed pushed past the people and started to drive out of the parking lot. I unconsciously looked over at the Cullen's Edward and Emmett were full on laughing, while Alice was snickering, and Jasper was smiling slightly, Rosalie was scrawling but looked to be holding back a smile that threatened to break free.

When I got home I decided to make chicken enchiladas for dinner. It was a long process, and would keep me busy. I tried to concentrate on dinner – dicing the chicken carefully; I didn't want to take another trip to the emergency room. But my head was spinning, going over every word Edward had spoken today. What did he mean; it was better if we weren't friends?

My stomach twisted as I realised what he must have meant, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. He must see how absorbed I was by him; he doesn't want to lead me on . . . so we couldn't even be friends . . . because he wasn't interested in me at all.

Of course he wasn't interested in plane Jane boring me, I'm not interesting. But he was interesting . . . and brilliant . . . and mysterious . . . and perfect . . . and beautiful . . . and possibly a new improved weird superman.

Well that was fine I could leave him alone, I would leave him alone I would leave here in 2 years and hopefully go to some school in the southwest. I focused my thoughts on that as I finished my enchiladas and put them in the oven.

When dad came home he was hesitant about the food but he braved the first bite and e seemed to like it.

''Dad? '' I asked when he was almost done.

''Yeah Bella? ''

''Um, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to Seattle the Saturday after next . . . if that's okay?''

''aren't you going to the dance'' damn only in a town this small would a _father _know about the dance.

'' no dad I can't dance even if I wasn't such a klutz it's hard to dace when you can't hear the music your trying to dance to'' I replied it was true

''Are you going by yourself'' I rolled my eyes at him.

'' yes I'll be fine''

''okay just be careful''

''ok dad'' I said as I went upstairs to bed.

The next morning when I pulled into the parking lot, I purposely parked as far away from the silver Volvo as I could. Getting out of the truck, I dropped my key in a puddle at my feet. As I bent down to get it, a white hand flashed out and got it before I could. Edward Cullen was next to me leaning agent my truck.

"How do you do that?" I demanded. I was Still a bit angry but not as bad.

"Do what?"

"Appear out of thin air," I clarified.

"Bella, it's not my fault if you are exceptionally unobservant." The words were wry, almost a joke.

I looked into his topaz eyes and looked down embarrassed.

"I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don't exist'' I asked confused trying to unscramble my thoughts. Damn those eyes.

''I'm not pretending you don't exist,'' he clarified.

"So you are trying to irritate me to death? Since Tyler's van didn't do the job?" I don't know why I said that.

"Bella, you are utterly absurd," He snapped.

My face flushed, and I turned my back on him. I began to walk away.

I could tell he was calling after me, but I did not stop, so he followed after me.

"I'm sorry, that was rude. I'm not saying it isn't true, but it was rude to say it, anyway." He apologised.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" I asked

"I wanted to ask you something, but you side-tracked me."

"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?" I asked.

"You're doing it again," he pointed out.

I sighed. "Fine then. What do you want to ask?"

"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday shock cross my face,

"You know, the day of the spring dance - "

I cut him off, finally returning my eyes to his. "Are you trying to be funny?" I asked annoyed.

"Will you let me finish?" he pleaded.

"I heard you say that you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride?" he offered

I stared at him blankly. "What?" I was not expecting that.

"Do you want a ride to Seattle?" he repeated slower.

"With who? '' I asked my eyes wide and bewildered again.

"Myself, obviously," he said slowly.

"Why?" I asked totally confused.

"Well," he said casually, "I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I'm not sure if your truck can make it." he teased.

"My truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern," I said in the same surprised voice. I started walking again. He kept pace with me.

I hadn't really said no, so he pressed that advantage.

"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?"

"I don't see how that is any of your business," I grumbled.

"The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business." He argued

"Honestly, Edward, I can't keep up with you. I thought you didn't want to be my friend." I sighed.

"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be." He clearafied.

"Oh, thanks, now that's all cleared up," she said sarcastically.

I paused, under the edge of the cafeteria's roof, and met his gaze again. my heartbeat stuttered.

He seemed to choose his words carefully.

"It would be more...prudent for you not to be my friend." What?

"But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella." The words struck me and I flushed. Damn blush!

"Will you go to Seattle with me?" he demanded, point blank.

I nodded, my heart drumming loudly.

"You really should stay away from me," he warned me.

"I'll see you in class." Then he walked off, and I couldn't wipe that stupid grin off my face.

**Done, thank the fudge. Sorry I took so long really, it's my longest chapter yet, ill update within the week proubley :) I know I've asked this before but really I need more answers **_**should Bella be changed in the studio by James or Edward save her,**_** review please and I think this song kind of suits this chapter and I love it it's my fav song at the moment. So listen ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**

**Why don't you love me, by Hot Chelle Rae (feat. Demi Lovato)**

_**See I can't wake up I'm living a nightmare  
That keeps playing over again  
Locked in a room so hung up on you  
And you're cool with just being friends**_

Left on the sidelines  
Stuck at a red light  
Waiting for my time  
And I can't see

Why don't you love me?  
Touch me, tell me I'm your everything  
The air you breathe  
And why don't you love me baby?  
Open up your heart tonight  
'cause I could be all that you need  
Ohhhhhhh  
Why don't you love me?  
Why don't you love me?

See I'm just too scared to tell you the truth  
Cause my heart ache can't take anymore  
Broken and bruised longing for you  
And I don't know what I'm waiting for

Left on the sidelines  
Stuck at a red light  
Waiting for my time  
So just tell me

Why don't you love me?  
Touch me, tell me I'm your everything  
The air you breathe  
And why don't you love me baby?  
Open up your heart tonight  
'cause I could be all that you need  
Ohhhhhhh

Why don't you give me a reason? (give me a reason)  
Please tell me the truth (Please tell me the truth)  
You know that I'll keep believing (I'll keep believing)  
Till I'm with you

Why don't you love me?  
Kiss me, I can feel your heart tonight  
It's killing me so  
Why don't you love me?  
Touch me, tell me I'm your everything  
The air you breathe  
And why don't you love me baby?  
Open up your heart tonight  
'cause I could be all that you need  
Ohhhhhhh  
Why don't you love me?  
Why don't you love me?  
Why don't you love me?  
Why don't you love me?  
Why don't you love me?

**RLA ;)xxx**


	10. Chapter 9: BLOOD TYPE :)

**This chapter is dedicated to my friends Roberto and courcumber (clearly not their real names but they know who they are) # yellow**

**RLA ;)xxx**

**Chapter 9: BLOOD TYPE**

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. It was difficult to believe what Edward said actually happened. I was impatient as me Angelia and ben entered the cafeteria, I wanted to see his face, to see if he had gone back to the cold person e was for the last few weeks. I was flooded with disappointment as my eyes drifted to their table to find 4 people there no Edward. I'd lost my appetite so I just got a bottle of lemonade.

I watched silently as Angelia and ben talked to each other- their hands intertwined- I couldn't help but feel a longing for love, not just love like ben and Angela but friendship love someone who knows all my secrets. My mom was my best friend, she was my only friend, and I don't know if I will ever have another best friend I can tell everything to. I mean I know I can trust Angelia but it just doesn't feel right to tell her.

Angelia suddenly turned to me ''Edward Cullen is staring at you, I wonder why he's sitting alone today'' she said catching my attention, I looked up to see Edward smiling crookedly, staring at me from an empty table across the cafeteria when he saw me he gestured me to go over to him. Then he _winked _it wasn't at me, was it?

''Bella I think he means you'' Angela edged me on.

I stopped behind the chair across from him, hesitating.

"Why don't you sit with me today?" he asked me.

I pulled the chair out and sat, staring at him the whole while. I was nervous,

he waited for me to speak.

It took a moment, but, finally, I said, "This is different."

"Well..." he hesitated. "I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly."

I stared at him, waiting, confused. "You know I don't have any idea what you mean," I said when he didn't continue.

He smiled. "I know.

I swallowed loudly.

He laughed at my expression. "You look worried."

"No." I was a bad liar; it didn't help that my voice broke. "Surprised, actually... What brought this on?"

"I told you," he reminded me. "I got tired of trying to stay away from you. So I'm giving up." "Giving up?" I repeated, baffled.

"Yes - giving up trying to be good. I'm just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may."

"You lost me again." I said.

"I always say too much when I'm talking to you - that's one of the problems."

"Don't worry," I reassured him. "I don't understand any of it."

"I'm counting on that." I'm so confused are we friends?

"So, in plain English, are we friends now?" I said voicing my thoughts.

He pondered that for a second. "Friends..." he repeated. I didn't like the sound of that. It wasn't enough.

"Or not," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

He smiled. "Well, we can try, I suppose. But I'm warning you now that I'm not a good friend for you."

He waited for her response, my heart beat faster. "You say that a lot."

"Yes, because you're not listening to me," he said, intense again. "I'm still waiting for you to believe it. If you're smart, you'll avoid me."

My eyes tightened. "I think you've made your opinion on the subject of my intellect clear, too."

"So," I said slowly. "As long as I'm being...not smart, we'll try to be friends?"

"That sounds about right." He smiled.

I looked down, staring intently at the lemonade bottle in my hands. The old curiosity tormented me. What was he? I was dying to know.

"What are you thinking?" he asked suddenly.

I met his gaze, and my breathing sped while my cheeks flushed.

"I'm trying to figure out what you are." I said slowly.

"Are you having any luck with that?" he asked.

"Not too much," I admitted.

He chuckled. "What are your theories?" he asked.

My cheeks turned brighter red, and I said nothing. I was not going to tell him way to embarrassing.

"Won't you tell me?" he smiled encouragingly.

I shook her head. "Too embarrassing."

He looked really enjoyed. "That's really frustrating, you know." That got me confused . . . again.

"No, I can't imagine why that would be frustrating at all - just because someone refuses to tell you what they're thinking, even if all the while they're making cryptic little remarks specifically designed to keep you up at night wondering what they could possibly mean...now, why would that be frustrating?"

He frowned at me, I went on "Or better, say that person also did a wide range of bizarre things - from saving your life under impossible circumstances one day to treating you like a pariah the next, and he never explained any of that either, even after he promised. That, also, would be very non-frustrating."

"You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?" he laughed.

"I don't like double standards." I argued.

He chuckled.

"What?" I demanded.

"Mike seems to think I'm being unpleasant to you - he's debating whether or not to come over and break up our fight. I don't know what you're talking about," I said in an icy voice. "It's none of his business anyway. But I'm sure you're wrong anyway." I finished.

"I'm not. I told you, most people are easy to read."

"Except me, of course."

"Yes. Except for you''

"I wonder why that is?" he asked concentrating on something.

He stared into her eyes, looking for something.

I looked away. I opened my lemonade and took a quick drink, my eyes on the table.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked.

"No." I eyed the empty table between us. "You?" I asked

"No, I'm not hungry," he said. Like he had an inside joke.

I stared at the table her lips pursed.

"Could you do me a favour?" I asked, suddenly meeting his gaze again.

"That depends on what you want." He answered hesitantly.

"It's not much," I promised.

He waited, curious again.

"I just wondered..." I said slowly, staring at the lemonade bottle, tracing its lip with my littlest finger. "If you could warn me beforehand the next time you decide to ignore me for my own good? Just so I'm prepared." I sounded like an idiot.

He smiled "That sounds fair," he agreed.

"Thanks," I said, looking up.

"Then can I have one in return?" he asked hopefully. I thought about it for a minute.

"One," I allowed, after a lot of thought.

"Tell me one theory."

I flushed. "Not that one." Anything but that.

"You didn't qualify, you just promised one answer," he argued. Damn he was good.

"And you've broken promises yourself," I argued back.

It looked like I had him there.

"Just one theory - I won't laugh." He promised.

"Yes, you will." I was very sure of that,

"Please?" he said slowly releasing the full force of his ees on me. that's not fair. I blinked a few times.

"Er, what?" I asked. I was suddenly dizzy. What was wrong with me?

But he wasn't giving up yet.

"Please tell me just one little theory," he pleaded holding his eyes in mine.

it finally worked.

"Um, well, bitten by a radioactive spider?" I mumbled.

"That's not very creative," he chided me, trying to hide his fresh relief, but I noticed.

"I'm sorry, that's all I've got," I said, offended.

"You're not even close." He teased.

"No spiders?" I clarified.

"Nope." He replied.

"And no radioactivity?"

"None."

"Dang," I sighed.

"Kryptonite doesn't bother me either," he said quickly it sounded like he was avoiding something, but what? Covering it up with a laugh.

"You're not supposed to laugh, remember?" I reminded him.

He pressed his lips together.

"I'll figure it out eventually," I promised.

"I wish you wouldn't try," he said, all teasing gone.

"Because...?"

"What if I'm not a superhero? What if I'm the bad guy?" what was he getting at? Then something dawned on me. My lips fell slightly apart. "Oh," I said. And then, after another second, "I see."

"Do you?" he asked.

"You're dangerous?" I guessed.

"But not bad," I whispered, shaking my head, I was not afraid of him, like he thought I should be. "No, I don't believe that you're bad."

"You're wrong," he breathed.

He stretched his hand across the table, reaching for the lid to my lemonade bottle for some weird reason, and then he spun the lid like a top, watching it. Not saying anything. That's when I realised the bell must have gone there was hardly anyone left in the cafeteria.

I jumped to my feet. "We're going to be late," I said.

"I'm not going to class." He sighed.

"Why not?" I asked already missing him. NO snap out of it Bella.

"It's healthy to ditch class now and then."

"Well, I'm going," I said. I didn't want to get caught ditching.

"I'll see you later then," he said, and I hesitantly left.

As I half ran to class, my head was spinning faster then the bottle cap. Little questions were answered but more were raised. When I got to bio Mr banner wasn't there yet, I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down.

Mr Banner came in the room then, calling the class to order he was holding a few small boxes in his arms. He put them down on Mike's table telling him to pass them around.

"Okay, guys, I want you all to take one piece from each box," he said as he produced a pair of rubber gloves from the pocket of his lab jacket and pulled them on. "The first should be an indicator card," he went on, grabbing a white card with four squares marked on it and displaying it. "The second is a four-pronged applicator -" he held up something that looked like a nearly toothless hair pick "- and the third is a sterile micro-lancet." He held up a small piece of blue plastic and split it open.

"I'll be coming around with a dropper of water to prepare your cards, so please don't start until I get to you." He began at Mike's table again, carefully putting one drop of water in each of the four squares. "Then I want you to carefully prick your finger with the lancet..." He grabbed Mike's hand and jabbed the spike into the tip of Mike's middle finger. Oh no. sweat broke out across my forehead.

"Put a small drop of blood on each of the prongs." He demonstrated, squeezing Mike's finger till the blood flowed. I swallowed convulsively, my stomach heaving.

"And then apply it to the card," he finished, holding up the dripping red card for us to see. I closed my eyes. breathing deeply.

"The Red Cross is having a blood drive in Port Angeles next weekend, so I thought you should all know your blood type." He sounded proud of himself. "Those of you who aren't eighteen yet will need a parent's permission - I have slips at my desk."

He continued through the room with his water drops. I put my cheek against the cool black table top and tried to hold on to my consciousness. I breathed slowly in and out through my mouth.

"Bella, are you all right?" Mr Banner asked. Tapping my shoulder.

"I already know my blood type, Mr. Banner," I said in a weak voice. I was afraid to raise my head.

"Are you feeling faint?"

"Yes, sir," I muttered, internally kicking myself for not ditching when I had the chance.

"Can someone take Bella to the nurse, please?" he called.

I didn't have to look up to know that it would be Mike who volunteered.

"Can you walk?" Mr Banner asked. "Yes," I whispered. _Just let me get out of here_, I thought.

Mike seemed eager as he put his arm around my waist and pulled my arm over his shoulder. I leaned against him heavily on the way out of the classroom. although I hated him I really couldn't walk.

Mike towed me slowly across campus. When we were around the edge of the cafeteria, out of sight of building four in case Mr. Banner was watching, I stopped.

"Just let me sit for a minute, please?" I begged.

He helped me sit on the edge of the walk.

"And whatever you do, keep your hand in your pocket," I warned. I was still so dizzy. I slumped over on my side, putting my cheek against the freezing, damp cement of the sidewalk, that seemed to help a little.

"Wow, you're green, Bella," Mike said nervously.

I looked ahead to my horror Edward was walking over here looking nervous. "Bella?"

No! Please let me be imagining this angel walking towards me.

"What's wrong - is she hurt?" he looked upset. I wasn't imagining it. I breathed in heavily breth hoping to die. Or, at the very least, not to throw up.

Mike seemed stressed. "I think she's fainted. I don't know what happened, she didn't even stick her finger."

"Bella." Edward looked relieved now. "Can you hear me?"

"No," I said. Not really lying "Go away." I groaned.

He chuckled.

"I was taking her to the nurse," Mike explained in a defensive tone, "but she wouldn't go any farther."

"I'll take her," Edward said. "You can go back to class."

"No," Mike protested. "I'm supposed to do it."

Suddenly the sidewalk disappeared from beneath me. Edward had scooped me up in his arms, as easily as if I weighed ten pounds instead of a hundred and ten.

"Put me down!" Please, please let me not vomit on him. He was walking before I was finished talking.

"Hey!" Mike called, already ten paces behind us.

Edward ignored him. "You look awful," he told me, grinning.

"Put me back on the sidewalk," I moaned. The rocking movement of his walk was not helping. He held me away from his body, gingerly, supporting all my weight with just his arms - it didn't seem to bother him.

"So you faint at the sight of blood?" he asked. This seemed to entertain him.

I didn't answer. I fought the nausea with all my strength, clamping my lips together.

"And not even your own blood," he continued, enjoying himself.

I don't know how he opened the door while carrying me.

"Oh my,"

"She fainted in Biology," Edward explained.

I was in the office, and Edward was striding past the front counter toward the nurse's door. Ms. Cope, the redheaded front office receptionist, ran ahead of him to hold it open. The grandmotherly nurse looked up from a novel, astonished, as Edward swung me into the room and placed me gently on the paper that covered the brown vinyl mattress on the one cot. Then he moved to stand against the wall as far across the narrow room as possible. His eyes were bright, excited.

"She's just a little faint," he reassured the startled nurse. "They're blood typing in Biology."

The nurse nodded sagely. "There's always one."

He tried not to laugh.

"Just lie down for a minute, honey; it'll pass."

"I know," I sighed. The nausea was already fading.

"Does this happen a lot?" she asked.

"Sometimes," I admitted. Edward coughed to hide another laugh.

"You can go back to class now," she told him.

"I'm supposed to stay with her." He said. she pursed her lips - the nurse didn't argue it further.

"I'll go get you some ice for your forehead, dear," she said to me, and then bustled out of the room.

"You were right," I moaned.

"I usually am - but about what in particular this time?"

"Ditching is healthy." I practiced breathing evenly.

"You scared me for a minute there," he admitted after a pause. "I thought Newton was dragging your dead body off to bury it in the woods."

"Ha ha." I was feeling more normal every minute.

"Honestly - I've seen corpses with better colour. I was concerned that I might have to avenge your murder."

"Poor Mike. I'll bet he's mad."

"He absolutely loathes me," Edward said cheerfully.

"You can't know that," I argued, but then I wondered suddenly if he could.

"I saw his face - I could tell."

"How did you see me? I thought you were ditching." I was almost fine now, though the queasiness would probably pass faster if I'd eaten something for lunch. On the other hand, maybe it was lucky my stomach was empty.

"I was in my car, listening to a CD." Such a normal response - it surprised me.

The door opened the nurse came in with a cold compress in her hand.

"Here you go, dear." She laid it across my forehead. "You're looking better," she added.

"I think I'm fine," I said, sitting up. Just a little ringing in my ears, no spinning. The mint green walls stayed where they should.

I could see she was about to make me lie back down, but the door opened just then, and Ms. Cope stuck her head in.

"We've got another one," she warned.

I hopped down to free up the cot for the next invalid.

I handed the compress back to the nurse. "Here, I don't need this."

And then Mike staggered through the door, now supporting a sallow-looking Lee Stephens, another boy in our Biology class. Edward and I drew back against the wall to give them room.

"Oh no," Edward said. "Go out to the office, Bella."

I looked up at him, bewildered.

"Trust me - go."

I spun and caught the door before it closed, darting out of the infirmary. I could feel Edward right behind me.

"You actually listened to me." He was stunned.

"I smelled the blood," I said, wrinkling my nose. Lee wasn't sick from watching other people, like me.

"People can't smell blood," he contradicted.

"Well, I can - that's what makes me sick. It smells like rust... and salt."

He was staring at me with an unfathomable expression.

"What?" I asked.

"It's nothing."

Mike came through the door then, glancing from me to Edward. The look he gave Edward confirmed what Edward had said about loathing. He looked back at me, his eyes glum.

"You look better," he accused.

"Just keep your hand in your pocket," I warned him again.

"It's not bleeding anymore," he muttered. "Are you going back to class?"

"Are you kidding? I'd just have to turn around and come back."

"Yeah, I guess... So are you going this weekend? To the beach?" While he spoke, he flashed another glare toward Edward, who was standing against the cluttered counter, motionless as a sculpture, staring off into space.

I tried to sound as friendly as possible. "no mike im not going. Not after what you said to Angelia. Sorry.''

''common Bella let's not fight over something so stupid''

"Angelia is not something stupid and if you can't accept that she's exactly like the rest of us then I don't think you should talk to me'' I said I was fuming.

''mike I think you should go'' Edward said glaring at him.

"I'll see you in Gym, then," he said to me, moving uncertainly toward the door. Looking like he was a dear caught in the headlights.

"Gym," I groaned.

"I can take care of that." I hadn't noticed Edward moving to my side, but he was there now. "Go sit down and look pale," he muttered.

That wasn't a challenge; I was always pale, and my recent swoon had left a light sheen of sweat on my face. I sat in one of the folding chairs and rested my head against the wall. Fainting spells always exhausted me.

"Ms. Cope?" he asked.

"Yes?" I hadn't noticed her return to her desk.

"Bella has Gym next hour, and I don't think she feels well enough Actually, I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?" I could imagine how much more overwhelming his eyes would be.

"Do you need to be excused, too, Edward?" Ms. Cope fluttered. Why couldn't I do that?

"No, I have Mrs. Goff, she won't mind."

"Okay, it's all taken care of. You feel better, Bella," she called to me. I nodded weakly, hamming it up just a bit.

"Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you again?" With his back to the receptionist, his expression became sarcastic.

"I'll walk."

I stood carefully, and I was still fine. He held the door for me, his smile polite but his eyes mocking. I walked out into the cold, fine mist that had just begun to fall. It felt nice - the first time I'd enjoyed the constant moisture falling out of the sky - as it washed my face clean of the sticky perspiration.

"Thanks," I said as he followed me out. "It's almost worth getting sick to miss Gym."

"Anytime." He was staring straight forward, squinting into the rain.

"I really don't like Mike'' he said as we walked.  
We were near the parking lot now. I veered left, toward my truck. Something caught my jacket, yanking me back.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, outraged. He was gripping a fistful of my jacket in one hand.

I was confused. "I'm going home."

"Didn't you hear me promise to take you safely home? Do you think I'm going to let you drive in your condition?" no actually I didn't hear him.

"What condition? And what about my truck?" I complained.

"I'll have Alice drop it off after school." He was towing me toward his car now, pulling me by my jacket. It was all I could do to keep from falling backward. He'd probably just drag me along anyway if I did.

"Let go!" I insisted. He ignored me. I staggered along sideways across the wet sidewalk until we reached the Volvo. Then he finally freed me - I stumbled against the passenger door.

"You are so pushy!" I grumbled.

"It's open," was all he responded. He got in the driver's side.

"I am perfectly capable of driving myself home!" I stood by the car, fuming. It was raining harder now, and I'd never put my hood up, so my hair was dripping down my back.

He lowered the automatic window and leaned toward me across the seat. "Get in, Bella."

I didn't answer. I was mentally calculating my chances of reaching the truck before he could catch me. I had to admit, they weren't good.

"I'll just drag you back," he threatened, guessing my plan.

I tried to maintain what dignity I could as I got into his car. I wasn't very successful - I looked like a half-drowned cat and my boots squeaked.

"This is completely unnecessary," I said stiffly.

He didn't answer. He fiddled with the controls, turning the heater up and the music down. As he pulled out of the parking lot, I was preparing to give him the silent treatment - my face in full pout mode - but then I recognized the album sitting beside my seat, and my curiosity got the better of my intentions.

"Clair de Lune?" I asked, surprised.

"You know Debussy?" He looked surprised, too.

"Not well," I admitted. _Because I can't hear it _I thought "My mother used to play a lot of classical music around the house - I only know her favourites."

"It's one of my favourites, too." He stared out through the rain, lost in thought.

"What was your mother like? You don't have to answer if you don't want to" he asked me suddenly.

I glanced over to see him studying me with curious eyes. The pain inside me flared again at the mention of my mother. But I answered anyway.

"She looked a lot like me, but she's prettier," I said. He raised his eyebrows. "I have too much Charlie in me. She was more outgoing than I am, and braver. She was irresponsible and slightly eccentric, and she was a very unpredictable cook. She was my best friend." I stopped. Talking about her was making me depressed. Tears spiked my eyes.

''I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked'' he apologised.

'' no its fine its nice to talk about her sometimes'' I sniffled.

"How old are you, Bella?" His looked frustrated for some reason I couldn't imagine. He'd stopped the car, and I realized we were at Charlie's house already. The rain was so heavy that I could barely see the house at all. It was like the car was submerged under a river.

"I'm seventeen," I responded, a little confused.

"You don't seem seventeen."

His tone was reproachful; it made me laugh.

"What?" he asked, curious again.

"My mom always used to say I was born thirty-five years old and that I get more middle-aged every year." I laughed, and then sighed. "Well, someone has to be the adult." I paused for a second. "You don't seem much like a junior in high school yourself," I noted.

He made a face and changed the subject.

''Do you think I'm scary Bella'' he said seriously.

''I think you could be . . . if you wanted to'' I finished.

"Are you frightened of me now?" The smile vanished, and his heavenly face was suddenly serious.

"No." But I answered too quickly. The smile returned.

"So, now are you going to tell me about your family?" I asked to distract him. "It's got to be a much more interesting story than mine."

He was instantly cautious. "What do you want to know?"

"The Cullens adopted you?" I verified.

"Yes."

I hesitated for a moment. "What happened to your parents?"

"They died many years ago." His tone was matter-of-fact.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"I don't really remember them that clearly. Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now."

"And you love them." It wasn't a question. It was obvious in the way he spoke of them.

"Yes." He smiled. "I couldn't imagine two better people."

"You're very lucky."

"I know I am."

"And your brother and sister?"

He glanced at the clock on the dashboard.

"My brother and sister, and Jasper and Rosalie for that matter, are going to be quite upset if they have to stand in the rain waiting for me."

"Oh, sorry, I guess you have to go." I didn't want to get out of the car.

"And you probably want your truck back before Chief Swan gets home, so you don't have to tell him about the Biology incident." He grinned at me.

"I'm sure he's already heard. There are no secrets in Forks." I sighed.

He laughed, and there was an edge to his laughter.

''bye Bella''

"Won't I see you tomorrow?"

"No. Emmett and I are starting the weekend early."

"What are you going to do?" A friend could ask that, right? I hoped the disappointment wasn't too apparent in my voice.

"We're going to be hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier."

I remembered Charlie had said the Cullens went camping frequently.

"Oh, well, have fun." I tried to sound enthusiastic. I don't think I fooled him, though. A smile was playing around the edges of his lips.

"Will you do something for me this weekend?" He turned to look me straight in the face, utilizing the full power of his burning gold eyes.

I nodded helplessly.

"Don't be offended, but you seem to be one of those people who just attract accidents like a magnet. So... try not to get run over or anything, all right?" He smiled crookedly.

The helplessness had faded as he spoke. I glared at him.

"I'll see what I can do," I snapped as I jumped out into the rain. I slammed the door behind me with excessive force.

He was still smiling as he drove away.

**There you have it Review please ill update at the weekend. And trust me im getting sick of asking this question but anyway. Should Edward save Bella from James or should she become a vampire? Review, Review, Review. Bye bye.**

**RLA ;)xxx**


	11. Chapter 10: SCARY STORIES :)

**Chapter 10: SCARY STORIES**

I wasn't looking forward to Friday and it more than lived up to my non-expectations. Of course there were the fainting comments. Luckily Mike had kept his mouth shut, and no one seemed to know about Edward's involvement. Jessica did have a lot of questions about lunch, though. I wasn't happy about talking to her but when you have to sit beside someone it's hard to ignore them.

"So what did Edward Cullen want yesterday?" Jessica asked in Trig. She and her mom were the town's gossip.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. "He never really got to the point."

"You looked kind of mad," she fished.

"Did I?" I kept my expression blank. I was beyond annoyed she hadn't talked to me in weeks.

"You know, I've never seen him sit with anyone but his family before. That was weird."

"Weird," I agreed. She seemed annoyed; she flipped her dark curls impatiently - I guessed she'd been hoping to hear something that would make a good story for her to pass on.

The worst part about Friday was that, even though I knew he wasn't going to be there, I still hoped. When I walked into the cafeteria with Angelia and ben, I couldn't keep from looking at his table, where Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper sat talking, heads close together. And I couldn't stop the gloom that engulfed me as I realized I didn't know how long I would have to wait before I saw him again.

************************************************** ********************************

That night at dinner, Charlie seemed enthusiastic about his friend billy blackand his son Jacob who were coming over for dinner tomorrow. I think he felt guilty for leaving me home alone on the weekends, so he took tomorrow off at the station. Absentmindedly I wondered if he would approve of my plan to ride to Seattle with Edward Cullen. Not that I was going to tell him.

"Dad, do you know a place called Goat Rocks or something like that? I think its south of Mount Rainier," I asked casually.

"Yeah - why?"

I shrugged. "Some kids were talking about camping there."

"It's not a very good place for camping." He looked surprised. "Too many bears. Most people go there during the hunting season."

"Oh," I murmured. "Maybe I got the name wrong."

I meant to sleep in, but an unusual brightness woke me. I opened my eyes to see a clear yellow light streaming through my window. I couldn't believe it. I hurried to the window to check, and sure enough, there was the sun. It was in the wrong place in the sky, too low, and it didn't seem to be as close as it should be, but it was definitely the sun.

I started on the dinner at 5 a few minutes later there was a knock on the door. I got it and was met with billy in a wheel chair he had tanned skin and long black hair my eyes travelled up to meat Jacob's. He looked fourteen, maybe fifteen, and had long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck, like his dad. His skin was beautiful, silky and russet-coloured; his eyes were dark, set deep above the high planes of his cheekbones. He still had just a hint of childish roundness left around his chin. Altogether, a very pretty face.

I invited them in and billy went straight for Charlie whine Jacob followed me to help with dinner. It was awkward for a while he was one of the few people who knew I was deaf.

"so You bought my dad's truck."

"yeah," I said, relieved, "I probably should remember you."

"No, I'm the youngest of the family - you would remember my older sisters."

"Rachel and Rebecca," I suddenly recalled. Charlie and Billy had thrown us together a lot during my visits, to keep us busy while they fished. We were all too shy to make much progress as friends. Of course, I didn't know how to talk back then.

"do they still live here?"

"No." Jacob shook his head. "Rachel got a scholarship to Washington State, and Rebecca married a Samoan surfer - she lives in Hawaii now."

"Married. Wow." I was stunned. The twins were only a little over a year older than I was.

"So how do you like the truck?" he asked.

"I love it. It runs great."

"Yeah, but it's really slow," he laughed. "I was so relieved when Charlie bought it. My dad wouldn't let me work on building another car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there."

"It's not that slow," I objected.

"Have you tried to go over sixty?"

"No," I admitted.

"Good. Don't." He grinned.

I couldn't help grinning back. "It does great in a collision," I offered in my truck's defence.

"I don't think a tank could take out that old monster," he agreed with another laugh.

"So you build cars?" I asked, impressed.

"When I have free time, and parts. You wouldn't happen to know where I could get my hands on a master cylinder for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit?" he added jokingly.

"Sorry," I laughed, "I haven't seen any lately, but I'll keep my eyes open for you." As if I knew what that was. He was very easy to talk with.

He flashed a brilliant smile, looking at me appreciatively in a way I was learning to recognize.

Jacob interrupted my meditation. "So is Forks driving you insane yet?"

"Oh, I'd say that's an understatement." I grimaced. He grinned understandingly.

"so Bella," he said after a minute of silence, watching my face carefully, "have you ever been to a bonfire in la push before"

I shook my head "no, what are they like?" I asked.

"there really fun'' he said.

''what do you do there'' I interjected. To keep the conversation going

"you know, talk, eat, look at the fire, tell those stupid old stories about the Cullen's . . . ''he trailed off as if he wasn't supposed to say. My attention was caught when he said Cullen's.

I needed information, so I was going to try to flirt to get it.

"So you're, what, sixteen?" I asked, trying not to look like an idiot as I fluttered my eyelids the way I'd seen girls do on TV.

"I just turned fifteen," he confessed, flattered.

"Really?" My face was full of false surprise. "I would have thought you were older."

"I'm tall for my age," he explained.

"Do you come up to Forks much?" I asked archly, as if I was hoping for a yes. I sounded idiotic to myself. I was afraid he would turn on me with disgust and accuse me of my fraud, but he still seemed flattered.

"Not too much," he admitted with a frown. "But when I get my car finished I can go up as much as I want - after I get my license," he amended.

"What was that you was saying about the doctor's family?" I asked innocently.

"The Cullen's? Oh, they're not supposed to come onto the reservation." He looked away,

"Why not?"

He glanced back at me, biting his lip. "Oops. I'm not supposed to say anything about that."

"Oh, I won't tell anyone, I'm just curious." I tried to make my smile alluring, wondering if I was laying it on too thick.

He smiled back, though, looking allured. Then he lifted one eyebrow and his voice was even huskier than before.

"Do you like scary stories?" he asked ominously.

"I love them," I enthused, making an effort to smoulder at him.

"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from - the Quileutes, I mean?" he began.

"Not really," I admitted.

"Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood - supposedly, the ancient Quileute's tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark." He smiled, to show me how little stock he put in the histories. "Another legend claims that we descended from wolves - and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them.

"Then there are the stories about the cold ones." His voice dropped a little lower.

"The cold ones?" I asked, not faking my intrigue now.

"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." He rolled his eyes.

"Your great-grandfather?" I encouraged.

"He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf-well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."

"Werewolves have enemies?"

"Only one."

I stared at him earnestly, hoping to disguise my impatience as admiration.

"So you see," Jacob continued, "the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did - they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces." He winked at me.

"If they weren't dangerous, then why... ?" I tried to understand, struggling not to let him see how seriously I was considering his ghost story.

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist."

"What do you mean, 'civilized'?"

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead."

I tried to keep my voice casual. "So how does it fit in with the Cullens? Are they like the cold ones your great-grandfather met?"

"No." He paused dramatically. "They are the same ones."

He must have thought the expression on my face was fear inspired by his story. He smiled, pleased, and continued.

"There are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same. In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He'd been here and gone before your people had even arrived." He was fighting a smile.

"And what are they?" I finally asked. "What are the cold ones?"

He smiled darkly.

"Blood drinkers," he replied in a chilling voice. "Your people call them vampires."

I stared out the window after he answered, not sure what my face was exposing.

"You have goose bumps," he laughed delightedly.

"You're a good storyteller," I complimented him, still staring into the waves.

"Pretty crazy stuff, though, isn't it? No wonder my dad doesn't want us to talk about it to anyone."

I couldn't control my expression enough to look at him yet. "Don't worry, I won't give you away."

"I guess I just violated the treaty," he laughed.

"I'll take it to the grave," I promised, and then I shivered.

"Seriously, though, don't say anything to Charlie. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us weren't going to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there."

"I won't, of course not."

"So do you think we're a bunch of superstitious natives or what?" he asked in a playful tone, but with a hint of worry.  
I turned and smiled at him as normally as I could.

"No. I think you're very good at telling scary stories, though. I still have goose bumps, see?" I held up my arm.

"Cool." He smiled.

"Thank you Bella," Billy said. As dad rolled him out the door.

''it was no proublem'' I replied and smiled at him.

Then Jacob and I were left.

"So when I get my license..." he began.

"You should come see me in Forks. We could hang out sometime." I felt guilty as I said this, knowing that I'd used him. But I really did like Jacob. He was someone I could easily be friends with.

I smiled at Jacob warmly, and he grinned back.

"It was nice to see you again," Jacob said,

"It really was. Next time Charlie comes down to see Billy, I'll come, too," I promised.

His grin stretched across his face. "That would be cool."

"And thanks," I added earnestly.

He pulled up his hood as he tramped across the driveway toward his car. A few drops were beginning to fall; I ran back inside and collapsed on my bed, as I unsuccessfully tried not to think about the stories.

**So sorry about the mishap last chapter, I don't know what happened. It's all fixed now anyway . . . so review, review, review thanks. ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**


	12. Chapter 11: NIGHTMARE :)

**Chapter 11: NIGHTMARE**

I told Charlie I had a lot of homework to do. There was a basketball game on that he was excited about, though of course I had no idea what was special about it, so he wasn't aware of anything unusual in my face or tone.

Once in my room, I locked the door. I dug through my desk until I found my favourite old book, pride and prejudice. Mom had given it to me for Christmas. It was one of his favourite bands. I lay down on my bed. I concentrated very carefully on the words, and it worked. Reading someone else's problems made it impossible for me to think - which was the whole purpose of the exercise. I fell asleep eventually though.

_I opened my eyes to a familiar place. Aware in some corner of my consciousness that I was dreaming, I recognized the green light of the forest. And I knew that if I found the ocean, I'd be able to see the sun. I was trying to follow the light, but then Jacob Black was there, tugging on my hand, pulling me back toward the blackest part of the forest._

_"Jacob? What's wrong?" I asked. His face was frightened as he yanked with all his strength against my resistance; I didn't want to go into the dark._

_"Run, Bella, you have to run!" he whispered, terrified._

_"Why?" I asked, still pulling against Jacob's grasp, desperate now to find the sun._

_But Jacob let go of my hand and yelped, suddenly shaking, falling to the dim forest floor. He twitched on the ground as I watched in horror._

_"Jacob!" I screamed. But he was gone. In his place was a large red-brown wolf with black eyes. The wolf faced away from me, pointing toward the shore, the hair on the back of his shoulders bristling, it looked like were growls issuing from between his exposed fangs._

_And then Edward stepped out from the trees, his skin faintly glowing, his eyes black and dangerous. He held up one hand and beckoned me to come to him. The wolf growled at my feet._

_I took a step forward, toward Edward. He smiled then, and his teeth were sharp, pointed._

_"Trust me," he purred._

_I took another step._

_The wolf launched himself across the space between me and the vampire, fangs aiming for the jugular._

"No!" I screamed, wrenching upright out of my bed.

My sudden movement caused the book to plop to the wooden floor.

My light was still on, and I was sitting fully dressed on the bed, with my shoes on. I glanced, disoriented, at the clock on my dresser. It was five-thirty in the morning.

I groaned, fell back, and rolled over onto my face, kicking off my boots. I was too uncomfortable to get anywhere near sleep, though. I rolled back over and unbuttoned my jeans, yanking them off awkwardly as I tried to stay horizontal. I could feel the braid in my hair, an uncomfortable ridge along the back of my skull. I turned onto my side and ripped the rubber band out, quickly combing through the plates with my fingers. I pulled the pillow back over my eyes.

It was all no use, of course. My subconscious had dredged up exactly the images I'd been trying so desperately to avoid. I was going to have to face them now.

I sat up, and my head spun for a minute as the blood flowed downward. First things first, I thought to myself, happy to put it off as long as possible. I grabbed my bathroom bag.

The shower didn't last nearly as long as I hoped it would, though. Even taking the time to blow-dry my hair, I was soon out of things to do in the bathroom. Wrapped in a towel, I crossed back to my room. I couldn't tell if Charlie was still asleep, or if he had already left. I went to look out my window, and the cruiser was gone. Fishing again.

I dressed slowly in my most comfy sweats and then made my bed - something I never did. I couldn't put it off any longer. I went to my desk and switched on my old computer.

I hated using the Internet here. My modem was sadly outdated, my free service substandard; just dealing up took so long that I decided to go get myself a bowl of cereal while I waited.

I ate slowly, chewing each bite with care. When I was done, I washed the bowl and spoon, dried them, and put them away. My feet dragged as I climbed the stairs.

With another sigh, I turned to my computer. Naturally, the screen was covered in pop-up ads. I sat in my hard folding chair and began closing all the little windows. Eventually I made it to my favourite search engine. I shot down a few more pop-ups and then typed in one word.

_Vampire._

It took an infuriatingly long time, of course. When the results came up, there was a lot to sift through - everything from movies and TV shows to role-playing games, underground metal, and gothic cosmetic companies.

Then I found a promising site - Vampires A-Z. I waited impatiently for it to load, quickly clicking closed each ad that flashed across the screen. Finally the screen was finished - simple white background with black text, academic-looking. Two quotes greeted me on the home page:

Throughout the vast shadowy world of ghosts and demons there is no figure so terrible, no figure so dreaded and abhorred, yet dight with such fearful fascination, as the vampire, who is himself neither ghost nor demon, but yet who partakes the dark natures and possesses the mysterious and terrible qualities of both. - Rev. Montague Summers

The rest of the site was an alphabetized listing of all the different myths of vampires held throughout the world. The first I clicked on, the Danag, was a Filipino vampire supposedly responsible for planting taro on the islands long ago. The myth continued that the Danag worked with humans for many years, but the partnership ended one day when a woman cut her finger and a Danag sucked her wound, enjoying the taste so much that it drained her body completely of blood.

I read carefully through the descriptions, looking for anything that sounded familiar, let alone plausible. It seemed that most vampire myths centered around beautiful women as demons and children as victims; they also seemed like constructs created to explain away the high mortality rates for young children, and to give men an excuse for infidelity. Many of the stories involved bodiless spirits and warnings against improper burials. There wasn't much that sounded like the movies I'd seen, and only a very few, like the Hebrew Estrie and the Polish Upier, who were even preoccupied with drinking blood.

Only three entries really caught my attention: the Romanian Varacolaci, a powerful undead being who could appear as a beautiful, pale-skinned human, the Slovak Nelapsi, a creature so strong and fast it could massacre an entire village in the single hour after midnight, and one other, the Stregoni benefici.

About this last there was only one brief sentence.

Stregoni benefici: An Italian vampire, said to be on the side of goodness, and a mortal enemy of all evil vampires.

It was a relief, that one small entry, the one myth among hundreds that claimed the existence of good vampires.

Overall, though, there was little that coincided with Jacob's stories or my own observations. I'd made a little catalogue in my mind as I'd read and carefully compared it with each myth. Speed, strength, beauty, pale skin, eyes that shift colour; and then Jacob's criteria: blood drinkers, enemies of the werewolf, cold-skinned, and immortal. There were very few myths that matched even one factor.

And then another problem, one that I'd remembered from the small number of scary movies that I'd seen and was backed up by today's reading - vampires couldn't come out in the daytime, the sun would burn them to a cinder. They slept in coffins all day and came out only at night.

Aggravated, I snapped off the computer's main power switch, not waiting to shut things down properly. Through my irritation, I felt overwhelming embarrassment. It was all so stupid. I was sitting in my room, researching vampires. What was wrong with me? I decided that most of the blame belonged on the doorstep of the town of Forks - and the entire sodden Olympic Peninsula, for that matter.

I had to get out of the house, but there was nowhere I wanted to go that didn't involve a three-day drive. I pulled on my boots anyway, unclear where I was headed, and went downstairs. I shrugged into my raincoat without checking the weather and stomped out the door.

It was not raining yet. I ignored my truck and started east on foot, angling across Charlie's yard toward the ever-encroaching forest. It didn't take long till I was deep enough for the house and the road to be invisible.

There was a thin line of a trail that led through the forest here, or I wouldn't risk wandering on my own like this. My sense of direction was hopeless; I could get lost in much less helpful surroundings. The trail wound deeper and deeper into the forest, mostly east as far as I could tell. It snaked around the Sitka spruces and the hemlocks, the yews and the maples. I only vaguely knew the names of the trees around me, and all I knew was due to Charlie pointing them out to me from the cruiser window in earlier days. There were many I didn't know, and others I couldn't be sure about because they were so covered in green parasites.

I followed the trail as long as my anger at myself pushed me forward. A recently fallen tree - I knew it was recent because it wasn't entirely carpeted in moss - rested against the trunk of one of her sisters, creating a sheltered little bench just a few safe feet off the trail. I stepped over the ferns and sat carefully, making sure my jacket was between the damp seat and my clothes wherever they touched, and leaned my hooded head back against the living tree.

This was the wrong place to have come. I should have known, but where else was there to go? The forest was deep green and far too much like the scene in last night's dream to allow for peace of mind.

Here in the trees it was much easier to believe the absurdities that embarrassed me indoors. Nothing had changed in this forest for thousands of years, and all the myths and legends of a hundred different lands seemed much more likely in this green haze than they had in my clear-cut bedroom.

I forced myself to focus on the two most vital questions I had to answer, but I did so unwillingly.

First, I had to decide if it was possible that what Jacob had said about the Cullen's could be true.

There was no rational explanation for how I was alive at this moment. I listed again in my head the things I'd observed myself: the impossible speed and strength, the eye colour shifting from black to gold and back again, the inhuman beauty, the pale skin. And more - small things that registered slowly - how they never seemed to eat, the disturbing grace with which they moved. And the way be sometimes spoke, with unfamiliar cadences and phrases that better fit the style of a turn-of-the-century novel than that of a twenty-first-century classroom. He had skipped class the day we'd done blood typing. He hadn't said no to the beach trip till he heard where we were going. He seemed to know what everyone around him was thinking... except me. He had told me he was the villain, dangerous...

Could the Cullens be vampires?

Well, they were something. Something outside the possibility of rational justification was taking place in front of my incredulous eyes. Whether it be Jacob's cold ones or my own superhero theory, Edward Cullen was not... human. He was something more.

So then - maybe. That would have to be my answer for now.

And then the most important question of all. What was I going to do if it was true?

If Edward was a vampire - I could hardly make myself think the words - then what should I do? Involving someone else was definitely out. I couldn't even believe myself; anyone I told would have me committed.

Only two options seemed practical. The first was to take his advice: to be smart, to avoid him as much as possible. To cancel our plans, to go back to ignoring him as far as I was able. To pretend there was an impenetrably thick glass wall between us in the one class where we were forced together. To tell him to leave me alone - and mean it this time.

I was gripped in a sudden agony of despair as I considered that alternative. My mind rejected the pain, quickly skipping on to the next option.

I could do nothing different. After all, he'd done nothing to hurt me so far. In fact, I would be a dent in Tyler's fender if he hadn't acted so quickly. So quickly, I argued with myself, that it might have been sheer reflexes. But if it was a reflex to save lives, how bad could he be? I retorted. My head spun around in answerless circles.

There was one thing I was sure of, if I was sure of anything. The dark Edward in my dream last night was a reflection only of my fear of the word Jacob had spoken, and not Edward himself. Even so, when I'd screamed out in terror at the werewolf's lunge, it wasn't fear for the wolf that brought the cry of "no" to my lips. It was fear that he would be harmed - even as he called to me with sharp-edged fangs, I feared for him.

And I knew in that I had my answer. I didn't know if there ever was a choice, really. I was already in too deep. Now that I knew - if I knew - I could do nothing about my frightening secret. Because when I thought of him, of his voice, his hypnotic eyes, the magnetic force of his personality, I wanted nothing more than to be with him right now. Even if... but I couldn't think it. Not here, alone in the darkening forest. Not while the rain made it dim as twilight under the canopy.

I started panicking as I realised if I noticed this much about him, what did he notice about me? could he figure out I was deaf? Would he think I was a freak? That fear was worse then if he was a vampire.

As I nearly ran through the trees, I realised how far I had come. I started to wonder if I was heading out at all, or following the path farther into the forest. Before I could get too panicky, though, I began to glimpse some open spaces through the webbed branches. and I was free, Charlie's lawn stretched out in front of me, the house beckoning me, promising warmth and dry socks.

It was just noon when I got back inside. I went upstairs and got dressed for the day, jeans and a t-shirt, since I was staying indoors. It didn't take too much effort to concentrate on my task for the day, a paper on Macbeth that was due Wednesday. I settled into outlining a rough draft contentedly, more serene than I'd felt since... well, since Thursday afternoon, if I was being honest.

That had always been my way, though. Making decisions was the painful part for me, the part I agonized over. But once the decision was made, I simply followed through - usually with relief that the choice was made. Sometimes the relief was tainted by despair, like my decision to come to Forks. But it was still better than wrestling with the alternatives.

This decision was ridiculously easy to live with. Dangerously easy.

And so the day was quiet, productive - I finished my paper before eight. Charlie came home with a large catch,

I slept dreamlessly that night, exhausted from beginning my day so early, and sleeping so poorly the night before. I woke, for the second time since arriving in Forks, to the bright yellow light of a sunny day. I skipped to the window, stunned to see that there was hardly a cloud in the sky, and those there were just fleecy little white puffs that couldn't possibly be carrying any rain. I opened the window - surprised when it opened silently, without sticking, not having opened it in who knows how many years - and sucked in the relatively dry air. It was nearly warm and hardly windy at all. My blood was electric in my veins.

Charlie was finishing breakfast when I came downstairs, and he picked up on my mood immediately.

"Nice day out," he commented.

"Yes," I agreed with a grin.

He smiled back, his brown eyes crinkling around the edges. When Charlie smiled, it was easier to see why he and my mother had jumped too quickly into an early marriage. Most of the young romantic he'd been in those days had faded before I'd known him, as the curly brown hair - the same colour, if not the same texture, as mine - had dwindled, slowly revealing more and more of the shiny skin of his forehead. But when he smiled I could see a little of the man who had run away with Renee when she was just two years older than I was now..

I was one of the first ones to school; I hadn't even checked the clock in my hurry to get outside. I parked and headed toward the seldom-used picnic benches on the south side of the cafeteria. The benches were still a little damp, so I sat on my jacket, glad to have a use for it. My homework was done - the product of a slow social life - but there were a few Trig problems I wasn't sure I had right. I took out my book industriously, but halfway through rechecking the first problem I was daydreaming, watching the sunlight play on the red-barked trees. I sketched inattentively along the margins of my homework. After a few minutes, I suddenly realized I'd drawn five pairs of dark eyes staring out of the page at me. I scrubbed them out with the eraser.

I looked around to realize that the school had become populated while I'd been sitting there, absentminded. Everyone was in t-shirts, some even in shorts though the temperature couldn't be over sixty. Mike was coming toward me in khaki shorts and a striped Rugby shirt, waving.

" Mike," I called back, unable to be half-hearted on a morning like this.

He came to sit by me, the tidy spikes of his hair shining golden in the light, his grin stretching across his face. He was so delighted to see me, and I didn't like it.

"I never noticed before - your hair has red in it," he commented, catching between his fingers a strand that was fluttering in the light breeze.

"Only in the sun." I said uneasily.

I became really uncomfortable as he tucked the lock behind my ear.

"Great day, isn't it?"

"My kind of day," I agreed. I couldn't deny that.

"What did you do yesterday?" His tone was just a bit too proprietary.

"I finished my essay mostly"

He hit his forehead with the heel of his hand. "Oh yeah - that's due Thursday, right?"

"Um, Wednesday, I think."

"Wednesday?" He frowned. "That's not good... What are you writing yours on?"

"Whether Shakespeare's treatment of the female characters is misogynistic."

He stared at me like I'd just spoken in pig Latin. Which to him I proubley had.

"I guess I'll have to get to work on that tonight," he said, deflated. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go out."

"Oh." I was taken off guard didn't I already make it clear I didn't want to go out with him?

"Well, we could go to dinner or something... and I could work on it later." He smiled at me hopefully. Clearly I hadn't.

"Mike..." I hated being put on the spot. "I don't think that would be the best idea."

"Oh," he exhaled - clearly dazed. I took advantage of that to make my escape.

"It's time for class, and I can't be late again." I gathered my books up and stuffed them in my bag.

We walked in silence to building three, and his expression was distracted. I hoped whatever thoughts he was immersed in were leading him in the right direction.

It was lunch before I knew it, as was my routine, I glanced first toward the Cullen's' table. A shiver of panic trembled in my stomach as I realized it was empty. With dwindling hope, my eyes scoured the rest of the cafeteria, hoping to find him alone, waiting for me. The place was nearly filled - Spanish had made me late - but there was no sign of Edward or any of his family. Desolation hit me with crippling strength.

I shambled along behind Angelia and ben.

We were late enough that everyone was already at our table.

Angela asked a few quiet questions about the Macbeth paper, which I answered as naturally as I could while spiralling downward in misery. She, invited me to go with her and her mom tonight, to port Angelis dress shopping and I agreed, grasping at anything to distract myself.

I realized I'd been holding on to a last shred of hope when I entered Biology, saw his empty seat, and felt a new wave of disappointment.

The rest of the day passed slowly, dismally. In Gym, we had a lecture on the rules of badminton, the next torture they had lined up for me. But at least it meant I got to sit and listen instead of stumbling around on the court. The best part was the coach didn't finish, so I got another day off tomorrow. Never mind that the day after they would arm me with a racket before unleashing me on the rest of the class.

I was glad to leave campus, so I would be free to pout and mope before I went out tonight with Angelia. But right after I walked in the door of Charlie's house, Angelia texted to cancel our plans. Something came up but we were going tomorrow instead.

Which left me with little in the way of distractions. I had fish marinating for dinner, with a salad and bread left over from the night before, so there was nothing to do there. I spent a focused half hour on homework, but then I was through with that, too.

I decided to kill an hour with non-school-related reading. I had a small collection of books that came with me to Forks, the shabbiest volume being a compilation of the works of Jane Austen. I selected that one and headed to the backyard, grabbing a ragged old quilt from the linen cupboard at the top of the stairs on my way down.

Outside in Charlie's small, square yard, I folded the quilt in half and laid it out of the reach of the trees' shadows on the thick lawn that would always be slightly wet, no matter how long the sun shone. I lay on my stomach, crossing my ankles in the air, flipping through the different novels in the book, trying to decide which would occupy my mind the most thoroughly. My favorites were Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I'd read the first most recently, so I started into Sense and Sensibility, only to remember after I began three that the hero of the story happened to be named Edward. Angrily, I turned to Mansfield Park, but the hero of that piece was named Edmund, and that was just too close. Weren't there any other names available in the late eighteenth century? I snapped the book shut, annoyed, and rolled over onto my back. I pushed my sleeves up as high as they would go, and closed my eyes. I would think of nothing but the warmth on my skin, I told myself severely. The breeze was still light, but it blew tendrils of my hair around my face, and that tickled a bit. I pulled all my hair over my head, letting it fan out on the quilt above me, and focused again on the heat that touched my eyelids, my cheekbones, my nose, my lips, my forearms, my neck, soaked through my light shirt...

I sat up in surprise, as a very cold breeze flooded around me realizing the light was gone, behind the trees, and I had fallen asleep. I looked around, muddled, with the sudden feeling that I wasn't alone.

"Charlie?" I asked. But I couldn't see anyone.

I jumped up, foolishly edgy, gathering the now-damp quilt and my book. I ran inside to get some oil heating on the stove, realizing that dinner would be late. Charlie was hanging up his gun belt and stepping out of his boots when I came in.

"Sorry, Dad, dinner's not ready yet - I fell asleep outside." I stifled a yawn.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I wanted to catch the score on the game, anyway."

I watched TV with Charlie after dinner, for something to do. There wasn't anything on I wanted to watch, but he knew I didn't like baseball, so he turned it to some mindless sitcom that neither of us enjoyed. He seemed happy, though, to be doing something together. And it felt good, despite my depression, to make him happy.

"Dad," I said during a commercial, " Angela and her mom are going to look at dresses for the dance tomorrow night in Port Angeles, and they wanted me to help them choose... do you mind if I go with them?"

"Angela Weber? " he asked. I sighed as I gave him the details.

He was confused. "But you're not going to the dance, right?"

"No, Dad, but I'm helping her find dresses - you know, giving her constructive criticism." I wouldn't have to explain this to a woman.

"Well, okay." He seemed to realize that he was out of his depth with the girlie stuff. "It's a school night, though."

"We'll leave right after school, so we can get back early. You'll be okay for dinner, right?"

"Bells, I fed myself for seventeen years before you got here," he reminded me.

"I don't know how you survived," I muttered, then added more clearly, "I'll leave some things for cold-cut sandwiches in the fridge, okay? Right on top."

It was sunny again in the morning. I awakened with renewed hope that I grimly tried to suppress. I dressed for the warmer weather in a deep blue V-neck blouse - something I'd worn in the dead of winter in Phoenix.

I had planned my arrival at school so that I barely had time to make it to class. With a sinking heart, I circled the full lot looking for a space, while also searching for the silver Volvo that was clearly not there. I parked in the last row and hurried to English, arriving breathless, but subdued, before the final bell.

It was the same as yesterday - I just couldn't keep little sprouts of hope from budding in my mind, only to have them squashed painfully as I searched the lunchroom in vain and sat at my empty Biology table.

I was anxious to get out of town so I could stop glancing over my shoulder, hoping to see him appearing out of the blue the way he always did. I vowed to myself that I would be in a good mood tonight and not ruin Angela's enjoyment in the dress hunting. Maybe I could do a little clothes shopping as well. I refused to think that I might be shopping alone in Seattle this weekend, no longer interested in the earlier arrangement. Surely he wouldn't cancel without at least telling me.

After school, Angelia followed me home in her old white Mercury so that I could ditch my books and truck. I brushed through my hair quickly when I was inside, feeling a slight lift of excitement as I contemplated getting out of Forks. I left a note for Charlie on the table, explaining again where to find dinner, switched my scruffy wallet from my school bag to a purse I rarely used, and ran out to join Angelia. We went to her house next, and her mom was waiting for us. My excitement increased exponentially as we actually drove out of the town limits.

**Review please; I have nothing to do so you'll get another chapter today or tomorrow night. And I'm getting sick of this question but really, should Edward save Bella from James or should she become a vampire. Next chapter 'port Angele's', this is my longest chapter yet. Hope you like. Thanks to everyone for your support. ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**


	13. Chapter 12: PORT ANGELES :)

**Chapter 12: PORT ANGELES**

Angeles mom drove faster than the Chief, so we made it to Port Angeles by four. It had been a while since I'd had a girls' night out, and the estrogenic rush was invigorating.

On the way, in the car Angelia and her mom were talking about a play they were in. I wasn't really paying attention it was about the dangers of teenage drinking and drugs, apparently they had a dress rehearsal next week. But then I zoned out trying not to get my hopes up for Saturday.

Port Angeles was much more polished and quaint than Forks. But Angela and her mom knew it well, so they didn't plan to waste time on the picturesque boardwalk by the bay. We drove straight to the one big department store in town, which was a few streets in from the bay area's visitor-friendly face.

The dance was semiformal,. Both Angela and Mrs Webber seemed surprised and almost disbelieving when I told them I'd never been to a dance in Phoenix.

"Didn't you ever go with a boyfriend or something?" Mrs Webber asked dubiously as we walked through the front doors of the store.

"Really," I tried to convince her, not wanting to confess my dancing problems. "I've never had a boyfriend or anything close. I didn't go out much."

"Why not?" Angelia asked. innocently.

"No one asked me," I answered honestly.

She looked sceptical. "People ask you out here," she reminded me, "and you tell them no." We were in the juniors' section now, scanning the racks for dress-up clothes.

"Well, except for mike," Angela added quietly.

"Excuse me?" I gasped. "What did you say?"

"Mike told everyone he's taking you to prom," Angelia informed me with suspicious eyes.

"He said what?" I sounded like I was choking.

"I knew it wasn't true," Angela said, in her defence.

I was silent, still lost in shock that was quickly turning to irritation. But we had found the dress racks, and now we had work to do.

I ground my teeth. "Do you think that if I ran him over with my truck he would get the picture that I said no''

The dress selection wasn't large, but she found a few things to try on. I sat on a low chair just inside the dressing room, by the three-way mirror, trying to control my fuming.

Angela chose a pale pink dress that draped around her tall frame nicely and brought out honey tints in her light brown hair. I complimented them both generously and helped by returning the rejects to their racks. The whole process was much shorter and easier than similar trips I'd taken with mom at home. I guess there was something to be said for limited choices. This wa my first shopping trip whiteout my mom ever and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Apart from the mike thing.

We headed over to shoes and accessories. While she tried things on I merely watched and critiqued, not in the mood to shop for myself, though I did need new shoes. The girls'-night high was wearing off in the wake of my annoyance at Mike, leaving room for the gloom to move back in.

"Angela?" I began, hesitant, while she was trying on a pair of pink strappy heels - she was overjoyed to have a date tall enough that she could wear high heels at all.

"Yes?" She held her leg out, twisting her ankle to get a better view of the shoe.

I chickened out. "I like those."

"I think I'll get them - though they'll never match anything but the one dress," she mused.

"Oh, go ahead - they're on sale," I encouraged. She smiled, putting the lid back on a box that contained more practical-looking off-white shoes.

I tried again. "Um, Angela..." She looked up curiously.

"Is it normal for the... Cullens" - I kept my eyes on the shoes - "to be out of school a lot?" I failed miserably in my attempt to sound nonchalant.

"Yes, when the weather is good they go backpacking all the time - even the doctor. They're all real outdoorsy," she told me quietly, examining her shoes, too. She didn't ask one question I was beginning to really like Angela.

"Oh." I let the subject drop.

We planned to go to dinner at a little Italian restaurant, Angela and Mrs Webber were going to take their clothes back to the car and then walk down to the bay. I told them I would meet them at the restaurant in an hour - I wanted to look for a bookstore. They were both willing to come with me, but I encouraged them to go have fun - they didn't know how preoccupied I could get when surrounded by books; it was something I preferred to do alone. They walked off to the car chattering happily, and I headed in the direction they pointed out.

I had no trouble finding the bookstore, but it wasn't what I was looking for. The windows were full of crystals, dream-catchers, and books about spiritual healing. I didn't even go inside. Through the glass I could see a fifty-year-old woman with long, gray hair worn straight down her back, clad in a dress right out of the sixties, smiling welcomingly from behind the counter. I decided that was one conversation I could skip. There had to be a normal bookstore in town.

I walked through the streets, which were filling up with end-of-the-workday traffic, and hoped I was headed toward downtown. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should to where I was going; I was trying so hard not to think about him, and what Angela had said... and more than anything trying to beat down my hopes for Saturday, fearing a disappointment more painful than the rest, when I looked up to see someone's silver Volvo parked along the street and it all came crashing down on me. Stupid, unreliable vampire, I thought to myself.

I stomped along in a southerly direction, toward some glass-fronted shops that looked promising. But when I got to them, they were just a repair shop and a vacant space. I still had too much time to go looking for Angela and Mrs Webber yet, and I definitely needed to get my mood in hand before I met back up with them. I ran my fingers through my hair a couple of times and took some deep breaths before I continued around the corner.

I started to realize, as I crossed another road, that I was going the wrong direction. I decided to turn east at the next corner, and then loop around after a few blocks and try my luck on a different street on my way back to the boardwalk.

A group of four men turned around the corner I was heading for, dressed too casually to be heading home from the office, but they were too grimy to be tourists. As they approached me, I realized they weren't too many years older than I was. They were, laughing raucously and punching each other's arms. I scooted as far to the inside of the sidewalk as I could to give them room, walking swiftly, looking past them to the corner.

"Hey, there!" one of them called as they passed, and he had to be talking to me since no one else was around. Two of them had paused, the other two were slowing. The closest, a heavyset, dark-haired man in his early twenties, seemed to be the one who had spoken. He was wearing a flannel shirt open over a dirty t-shirt, cut-off jeans, and sandals. He took half a step toward me.

"Hello," I mumbled, a knee-jerk reaction. Then I quickly walked faster toward the corner.

I was sure they were calling out to me but I didn't dare look up. I rounded the corner with a sigh of relief.

I found myself on a sidewalk leading past the backs of several somber-colored warehouses, each with large bay doors for unloading trucks, padlocked for the night. I'd wandered far past the part of Port Angeles that I, as a guest, was intended to see. It was getting dark, I realized, the clouds finally returning, piling up on the western horizon, creating an early sunset. The eastern sky was still clear, but graying, shot through with streaks of pink and orange. I'd left my jacket in the car, and a sudden shiver made me cross my arms tightly across my chest. A single van passed me, and then the road was empty.

The sky suddenly darkened further, and, as I looked over my shoulder to glare at the offending cloud, I realized with a shock that two men were walking quietly twenty feet behind me.

They were from the same group I'd passed at the corner, though neither was the dark one who'd spoken to me. I turned my head forward at once, quickening my pace. A chill that had nothing to do with the weather made me shiver again. My purse was on a shoulder strap and I had it slung across my body, the way you were supposed to wear it so it wouldn't get snatched. I knew exactly where my pepper spray was - still in my duffle bag under the bed, never unpacked. I didn't have much money with me, and I thought about "accidentally" dropping my bag and walking away. But a small, frightened voice in the back of my mind warned me that they might be something worse than thieves.

Breathe, I had to remind myself. You don't know they're following you. I continued to walk as quickly as I could without actually running, focusing on the right-hand turn that was only a few yards away from me now. A blue car turned onto the street from the south and drove quickly past me. I thought of jumping out in front of it, but I hesitated, and then it was too late.

It seemed to take forever for me to get to the corner. I kept my pace steady, the men behind me falling ever so slightly farther behind with every step. Maybe they realized they had scared me and were sorry. I saw two cars going north pass the intersection I was heading for, and I exhaled in relief. There would be more people around once I got off this deserted street. I skipped around the corner with a grateful sigh.

And skidded to a stop.

it was a dead end. I could see in the distance, two intersections down, streetlamps, cars, and more pedestrians, but they were all too far away. Because lounging against the western building, midway down the street, were the other two men from the group, both watching with excited smiles as I froze dead on the sidewalk. I realized then that I wasn't being followed.

I was being herded.

I turned then and darted to the other side of the road. I had a sinking feeling that it was a wasted attempt. The footsteps behind me were louder now.

"There you are!" The same man who talked to me before said,

I tried to hurry down the street. "We just took a little detour." One said.

My steps had to slow now. I was closing the distance between myself and the lounging pair too quickly. I had a good loud scream, and I sucked in air, preparing to use it, but my throat was so dry I wasn't sure how much volume I could manage. With a quick movement I slipped my purse over my head, gripping the strap with one hand, ready to surrender it or use it as weapon as need demanded.

The thickset man shrugged away from the wall as I warily came to a stop, and walked slowly into the street.

"Stay away from me," I warned in a voice that was supposed to sound strong and fearless. But I was right about the dry throat - no volume.

"Don't be like that, sugar," he called, as they started laughing again behind me.

I braced myself, feet apart, trying to remember through my panic what little self-defence I knew. I probably wouldn't have a chance against one of them, and there were four. _Shut up!_ I commanded the voice before terror could incapacitate me. I wasn't going out without taking someone with me. I tried to swallow so I could build up a decent scream.

I didn't know if they were talking,- I don't think I'd want to know what they were saying anyway- because I closed my eyes, and braced myself. One of them grabbed my arm hard, and yanked me down to the ground. Still holding my arm flipped me over on my back.

Headlights suddenly flew around the corner, the car almost hitting the stocky one, forcing him to jump back toward the sidewalk. I sat up I was in the middle of the road - this car was going to stop, or have to hit me. But the silver car unexpectedly fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with the passenger door open just a few feet from me.

I couldn't see his face, I didn't know if he said anything but a weird sense of security flashed through me. and I instantly knew who it was.

It was amazing how instantaneously the choking fear vanished, even before I was off the street - I jumped into the seat, slamming the door shut behind me.

It was dark in the car, no light had come on with the opening of the door, and I could barely see his face in the glow from the dashboard. he spun around to face north, accelerating too quickly,

swerving toward the stunned men on the street. I caught a glimpse of them diving for the sidewalk as we straightened out and sped toward the harbor.

"Put on your seat belt," he commanded, and I realized I was clutching the seat with both hands. I quickly obeyed; He took a sharp left, racing forward, blowing through several stop signs without a pause.

But I felt utterly safe and, for the moment, totally unconcerned about where we were going. I stared at his face in profound relief, relief that went beyond my sudden deliverance. I studied his flawless features in the limited light, waiting for my breath to return to normal, until it occurred to me that his expression was murderously angry.

"Are you okay?" I asked, surprised at how hoarse my voice sounded.

"No," he said curtly, he was livid.

I sat in silence, watching his face while his blazing eyes stared straight ahead, until the car came to a sudden stop. I glanced around, but it was too dark to see anything beside the vague outline of dark trees crowding the roadside. We weren't in town anymore.

"Bella?" he asked, , controlled.

"Yes?" My voice was still rough. I tried to clear my throat quietly.

"Are you all right?" He still didn't look at me, but the fury was plain on his face.

"Yes," I croaked softly.

"Distract me, please," he ordered.

"I'm sorry, what?"

He exhaled sharply.

"Just prattle about something unimportant until I calm down," he clarified, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Um." I wracked my brain for something trivial. "I'm going to run over Mike Newton tomorrow before school?"

He was still squeezing his eyes closed, but the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Why?"

"He's telling everyone that he's taking me to prom - either he's insane or he's well insane. I might have to total his Suburban, though. If he doesn't have a ride he can't take anyone to prom..." I babbled on.

"I heard about that." He looked a bit more composed.

"You did?" I asked in disbelief, my previous irritation flaring. "If he's paralyzed from the neck down, he can't go to the prom, either," I muttered, refining my plan.

Edward sighed, and finally opened his eyes.

"Better?"

"Not really."

I waited, but he didn't speak again. He leaned his head back against the seat, staring at the ceiling of the car. His face was rigid.

"What's wrong?" My voice came out in a whisper.

"Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Bella." as he stared out the window, his eyes narrowed into slits. "But it wouldn't be helpful for me to turn around and hunt down those..." He didn't finish his sentence, looking away, struggling for a moment to control his anger again. "At least," he continued, "that's what I'm trying to convince myself."

"Oh." The word seemed inadequate, but I couldn't think of a better response.

We sat in silence again. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was past six-thirty.

" Angela and Mrs Webber will be worried," I murmured. "I was supposed to meet them."

He started the engine without another word, turning around smoothly and speeding back toward town. We were still going too fast, weaving with ease through the cars slowly cruising the boardwalk. He parallel-parked against the curb in a space I would have thought much too small for the Volvo, but he slid in effortlessly in one try. I looked out the window to see the lights of La Bella Italia, and Jess and Angela just leaving, pacing anxiously__away from us._****_

"How did you know where... ?" I began, but then I just shook my head. I saw the door open and turned to see him getting out.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm taking you to dinner." He smiled slightly, but his eyes were hard. He stepped out of the car and slammed the door. I fumbled with my seat belt, and then hurried to get out of the car as well. He was waiting for me on the sidewalk.

He spoke before I could. "Go stop them before I have to track them down, too. I don't think I could restrain myself if I ran into your other friends again."

I shivered at the threat in his voice.

when they turned. They rushed back to me, the pronounced relief on both their faces simultaneously changing to surprise as they saw who I was standing next to. They hesitated a few feet from us.

"Where have you been?" angelia just looked worried.

"I got lost," I admitted sheepishly. "And then I ran into Edward." I gestured toward him.

"Would it be all right if I joined you?" he asked. I could see from their staggered expressions that he had never unleashed his talents on them before.

"Er... sure," Angelia breathed.

"Um, actually, Bella, we already ate while we were waiting - sorry," Mrs Webber confessed.

"That's fine - I'm not hungry." I shrugged.

"I think you should eat something." Edward's voice was full of authority. He looked up at Angelia and spoke slightly louder. "Do you mind if I drive Bella home tonight? That way you won't have to wait while she eats."

"Uh, no problem, I guess..." She bit her lip, trying to figure out from my expression whether that was what I wanted. I winked at her. I wanted nothing more than to be alone with my perpetual saviour. There were so many questions that I couldn't bombard him with till we were by ourselves.

"Okay See you tomorrow, Bella... Edward." She went to the car and drove off

"Honestly, I'm not hungry," I insisted, looking up to scrutinize his face. His expression was unreadable.

"Humor me."

He walked to the door of the restaurant and held it open with an obstinate expression. Obviously, there would be no further discussion. I walked past him into the restaurant with a resigned sigh.

The restaurant wasn't crowded - it was the off-season in Port Angeles. The host was female, and I understood the look in her eyes as she assessed Edward. She welcomed him a little more warmly than necessary. I was surprised by how much that bothered me. She was several inches taller than I was, and unnaturally blond.

"A table for two?" I saw her eyes flicker to me and then away, satisfied by my obvious ordinariness, and by the cautious, no-contact space Edward kept between us. She led us to a table big enough for four in the center of the most crowded area of the dining floor.

I was about to sit, but Edward shook his head at me.

"Perhaps something more private?" he insisted to the host. I wasn't sure, but it looked like he smoothly handed her a tip. I'd never seen anyone refuse a table except in old movies.

"Sure." She looked as surprised as I was. She turned and led us around a partition to a small ring of booths - all of them empty. "How's this?"

"Perfect." He flashed his gleaming smile, dazing her momentarily.

"Um" - she shook her head, blinking - "your server will be right out." She walked away unsteadily.

"You really shouldn't do that to people," I criticized. "It's hardly fair."

"Do what?"

"Dazzle them like that - she's probably hyperventilating in the kitchen right now."

He seemed confused.

"Oh, come on," I said dubiously. "You have to know the effect you have on people."

He tilted his head to one side, and his eyes were curious. "I dazzle people?"

"You haven't noticed? Do you think everybody gets their way so easily?"

He ignored my questions. "Do I dazzle you?"

"Frequently," I admitted.

And then our server arrived, her face expectant. The hostess had definitely dished behind the scenes, and this new girl didn't look disappointed. She flipped a strand of short black hair behind one ear and smiled with unnecessary warmth.

"Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get

you to drink?" I didn't miss that she was speaking only to him.

He looked at me.

"I'll have a Coke." It sounded like a question.

"Two Cokes," he said.

"I'll be right back with that," she assured him with another unnecessary smile. But he didn't see it. He was watching me.

"What?" I asked when she left.

His eyes stayed fixed on my face. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I replied, surprised by his intensity.

He sighed annoyed ''Bella look at your arm'' I hadn't realised my sleeve had ridden up exposing an hand print purple bruise. I quickly hid it and looked back at him. He had an unreadable expression.

''im fine'' I repeated.

''don't lie to me Bella, your hurt.'' He accused.

''I have a bruise it will heal, it's not sore I'm fine''

"You don't feel dizzy, sick, cold... ?"  
**  
**"Should I?"  
**  
**He chuckled at my puzzled tone.

"Well, I'm actually waiting for you to go into shock." His face twisted up into that perfect crooked smile.

"I don't think that will happen," I said after I could breathe again. "I've always been very good at repressing unpleasant things."

"Just the same, I'll feel better when you have some sugar and food in you."

Right on cue, the waitress appeared with our drinks and a basket of breadsticks. She stood with her back to me as she placed them on the table.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked Edward.

"Bella?" he asked. She turned unwillingly toward me.

I picked the first thing I saw on the menu. "Um... I'll have the mushroom ravioli."

"And you?" She turned back to him with a smile.

"Nothing for me," he said. Of course not.

"Let me know if you change your mind." The coy smile was still in place, but he wasn't looking at her, and she left dissatisfied.

"Drink," he ordered.

I sipped at my soda obediently, and then drank more deeply, surprised by how thirsty I was. I realized I had finished the whole thing when he pushed his glass toward me.

"Thanks," I muttered, still thirsty. The cold from the icy soda was radiating through my chest, and I shivered.

"Are you cold?"

"It's just the Coke," I explained, shivering again.

"Don't you have a jacket?" His voice was disapproving.

"Yes." I looked at the empty bench next to me. "Oh - I left it in Angelia's car," I realized.

Edward was shrugging out of his jacket. I suddenly realized that I had never once noticed what he was wearing - not just tonight, but ever. I just couldn't seem to look away from his face. I made myself look now, focusing. He was removing a light beige leather jacket now; underneath he

wore an ivory turtleneck sweater. It fit him snugly, emphasizing how muscular his chest was.

He handed me the jacket, interrupting my ogling.

"Thanks," I said again, sliding my arms into his jacket. It was cold - the way my jacket felt when I first picked it up in the morning, hanging in the drafty hallway. I shivered again. It smelled amazing. I inhaled, trying to identify the delicious scent. It didn't smell like cologne. The sleeves were much too long; I shoved them back so I could free my hands.

"That color blue looks lovely with your skin," he said, watching me. I was surprised; I looked down, flushing, of course.

He pushed the bread basket toward me.

"Really, I'm not going into shock," I protested.

"You should be - a normal person would be. You don't even look shaken." He seemed unsettled. He stared into my eyes, and I saw how light his eyes were, lighter than I'd ever seen them, golden butterscotch.

"I feel very safe with you," I confessed, mesmerized into telling the truth again.

That displeased him; his alabaster brow furrowed. He shook his head, frowning.

"This is more complicated than I'd planned," he said to himself.

I picked up a breadstick and began nibbling on the end, measuring his expression. I wondered when it would be okay to start questioning him.

"Usually you're in a better mood when your eyes are so light," I commented, trying to distract him from whatever thought had left him frowning and somber.

He stared at me, stunned. "What?"

"You're always crabbier when your eyes are black - I expect it then," I went on. "I have a theory about that."

His eyes narrowed. "More theories?"

"Mm-hm." I chewed on a small bite of the bread, trying to look indifferent.

"I hope you were more creative this time... or are you still stealing from comic books?" His faint smile was mocking; his eyes were still tight.

"Well, no, I didn't get it from a comic book, '' I defended

"And?" he prompted.

But then the waitress strode around the partition with my food. I realized we'd been unconsciously leaning toward each other across the table, because we both straightened up as she approached. She set the dish in front of me - it looked pretty good - and turned quickly to Edward.

"Did you change your mind?" she asked. "Isn't there anything I can get you?" I may have been imagining the double meaning in her words.

"No, thank you, but some more soda would be nice." He gestured with a long white hand to the empty cups in front of me.

"Sure." She removed the empty glasses and walked away.

"You were saying?" he asked.

"I'll tell you about it in the car. If..." I paused.

"There are conditions?" He raised one eyebrow.

"I do have a few questions, of course."

"Of course."

The waitress was back with two more Cokes. She sat them down without a word this time, and left again.

I took a sip.

"Well, go ahead," he pushed, his voice still hard.

I started with the most undemanding. Or so I thought. "Why are you in Port Angeles?"

He looked down, folding his large hands together slowly on the table. His eyes flickered up at me from under his lashes, the hint of a smirk on his face.

"Next."

"But that's the easiest one," I objected.

"Next," he repeated.

I picked up my fork, and carefully speared a ravioli. I put it in my mouth slowly, chewing while I thought. The mushrooms were good. I swallowed and took another sip of Coke before I looked up.

"Okay, then." I glared at him, and continued slowly. "Let's say, hypothetically of course, that... someone... could know what people are thinking, read minds, you know - with a few exceptions."

"Just one exception," he corrected, "hypothetically."

"All right, with one exception, then." I was thrilled that he was playing along, but I tried to seem casual.

"How does that work? What are the limitations? How would... that someone... find someone else at exactly the right time? How would he know she was in trouble?" I wondered if my convoluted questions even made sense.

"Hypothetically?" he asked.

"Sure."

"Well, if... that someone..."

"Let's call him 'Joe,'" I suggested.

He smiled wryly. "Joe, then. If Joe had been paying attention, the timing wouldn't have needed to be quite so exact." He shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Only you could get into trouble in a town this small. You would have devastated their crime rate statistics for a decade, you know."

"We were speaking of a hypothetical case," I reminded him frostily.

He laughed at me, his eyes warm.

"Yes, we were," he agreed. "Shall we call you 'Jane'?"

"How did you know?" I asked, unable to curb my intensity. I realized I was leaning toward him again.

He seemed to be wavering, torn by some internal dilemma. His eyes locked with mine, and I guessed he was making the decision right then whether or not to simply tell me the truth.

"You can trust me, you know," I murmured. I reached forward, without

thinking, to touch his folded hands, but he slid them away minutely, and I pulled my hand back.

"I don't know if I have a choice anymore." His voice was almost a whisper. "I was wrong - you're much more observant than I gave you credit for."

"I thought you were always right."

"I used to be." He shook his head again. "I was wrong about you on one other thing, as well. You're not a magnet for accidents - that's not a broad enough classification. You are a magnet for trouble. If there is anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will invariably find you."

"And you put yourself into that category?" I guessed.

His face turned cold, expressionless. "Unequivocally."

I stretched my hand across the table again - ignoring him when he pulled back slightly once more - to touch the back of his hand shyly with my fingertips. His skin was cold and hard, like a stone.

"Thank you." My voice was fervent with gratitude. "That's twice now."

His face softened. "Let's not try for three, agreed?"

I scowled, but nodded. He moved his hand out from under mine, placing both of his under the table. But he leaned toward me.

"I followed you to Port Angeles," he admitted, speaking in a rush. "I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it's much more troublesome than I would have believed. But that's probably just because it's you. Ordinary people seem to make it through the day without so many catastrophes." He paused. I wondered if it should bother me that he was following me; instead I felt a strange surge of pleasure. He stared, maybe wondering why my lips were curving into an involuntary smile.

"Did you ever think that maybe my number was up the first time, with the van, and that you've been interfering with fate?" I speculated, distracting myself.

"That wasn't the first time," he said, and his voice was hard to hear. I stared at him in amazement, but he was looking down. "Your number was up the first time I met you."

I felt a spasm of fear at his words, and the abrupt memory of his violent black glare that first day... but the overwhelming sense of safety I felt in his presence stifled it. By the time he looked up to read my eyes, there was no trace of fear in them.

"You remember?" he asked, his angel's face grave.

"Yes." I was calm.

"And yet here you sit." There was a trace of disbelief in his voice; he raised one eyebrow.

"Yes, here I sit... because of you." I paused. "Because somehow you knew how to find me today... ?" I prompted.

He pressed his lips together, staring at me through narrowed eyes, deciding again. His eyes flashed down to my full plate, and then back to me.

"You eat, I'll talk," he bargained.

I quickly ate more and looked back up.

"It's harder than it should be - keeping track of you. Usually I can find someone very easily, once I've heard their mind before." He looked at me anxiously, and I realized I had frozen. I made myself swallow, then stabbed another ravioli and tossed it in.

"I was keeping tabs on angelia, not carefully - like I said, only you could find trouble in Port Angeles - and at first I didn't notice when you took off on your own. Then, when I realized that you weren't with her anymore, I went looking for you at the bookstore I saw in her head. I could tell that you hadn't gone in, and that you'd gone south... and I knew you would have to turn around soon. So I was just waiting for you, randomly searching through the thoughts of people on the street - to see if anyone had noticed you so I would know where you were. I had no reason to be worried... but I was strangely anxious..." He was lost in thought, staring past me, seeing things I couldn't imagine.

"I started to drive in circles, still... listening. The sun was finally setting, and I was about to get out and follow you on foot. And then -" He stopped, clenching his teeth together in sudden fury. He made an effort to calm himself.

"Then what?" I whispered. He continued to stare over my head.

"I heard what they were thinking," he growled, his upper lip curling slightly back over his teeth. "I saw your face in his mind." He suddenly leaned forward, one elbow appearing on the table, his hand covering his eyes. The movement was so swift it startled me.

"It was very... hard - you can't imagine how hard - for me to simply take you away, and leave them... alive I could have let you go with Angela, but I was afraid if you left me alone, I would go looking for them," he admitted in a whisper.

I sat quietly, dazed, my thoughts incoherent. My hands were folded in my lap, He still had his face in his hand, and he was as still as if he'd been carved from the stone his skin resembled.

Finally he looked up, his eyes seeking mine, full of his own questions.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked.

"I'm ready to leave," I qualified, overly grateful that we had the hour-long ride home together. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to him.

The waitress appeared as if she'd been called. Or watching.

"How are we doing?" she asked Edward.

"We're ready for the check, thank you."

"S-sure," she stuttered. "Here you go." She pulled a small leather folder from the front pocket of her black apron and handed it to him.

There was a bill in his hand already. He slipped it into the folder and handed it right back to her.

"No change." He smiled. Then he stood up, and I scrambled awkwardly to my feet.

She smiled invitingly at him again. "You have a nice evening."

He didn't look away from me as he thanked her. I suppressed a smile.

He walked close beside me to the door, still careful not to touch me.

He opened the passenger door, holding it for me as I stepped in, shutting it softly behind me. I watched him walk around the front of the car, amazed, yet again, by how graceful he was. I probably should have been used to that by now - but I wasn't. I had a feeling Edward wasn't the

kind of person anyone got used to.

Once inside the car, he started the engine and turned the heater on high. It had gotten very cold, and I guessed the good weather was at an end. I was warm in his jacket, though, breathing in the scent of it when I thought he couldn't see.

Edward pulled out through the traffic, apparently without a glance, flipping around to head toward the freeway.

"Now," he said significantly, "it's your turn."

**I know my story is a lot like the book expect she's deaf but there will be much more twists, that thing about Angelia and the play WILL be important later in the story, so please review. Bella become vampire in ballet studio? Yes? no? please answer and review, thanks, ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**


	14. Chapter 13: SECRETS REVILED :)

**Chapter 13: SECRETS REVILED **

"Can I ask just one more?" I pleaded as Edward quickly down the quiet street. He sighed.

"One," he agreed. His lips pressed together into a cautious line.

"Well... you said you knew I hadn't gone into the bookstore, and that I had gone south. I was just wondering how you knew that."

He looked away, deliberating.

"I thought we were past all the evasiveness," I grumbled.

He almost smiled.

"Fine, then. I followed your scent." He looked at the road, giving me time to compose my face. I couldn't think of an acceptable response to that, but I filed it carefully away for future study. I tried to refocus. I wasn't ready to let him be finished, now that he was finally explaining things.

"Why do you think you can't hear me?" I asked curiously. Was it because I was deaf?

He looked at me, his eyes enigmatic.

"I don't know," he murmured. "The only guess I have is that maybe your mind doesn't work the same way the rest of theirs do. Like your thoughts are on the AM frequency and I'm only getting FM." He grinned at me, suddenly amused.

''can you hear Angelia?'' I said innocently hopefully not giving anything away.

He smiled, as if he knew why I asked that. I hoped that he didn't. ''yes you're the first person I've ever come across that I can't hear''

"So my mind doesn't work right? I'm a freak?" The words bothered me more than they should - probably because his speculation hit home. I'd always suspected as much, and it embarrassed me to have it confirmed.

"I hear voices in my mind and you're worried that you're the freak," he laughed. "Don't worry, it's just a theory..." His face tightened. "it's my turn for questions."

I sighed. '' okay shoot''

''I've noticed some things about you . . .'' yeah so have I. ''that I've also noticed about Angelia.'' Oh no he knows. Does he think I'm a freak? He doesn't look like he is freaked out. Maybe he doesn't know.

"Holy crow!" I shouted. "Slow down!"

"What's wrong?" He was startled. But the car didn't decelerate.

"You're going a hundred miles an hour!" I was still shouting. I shot a panicky glance out the window, but it was too dark to see much. The road was only visible in the long patch of bluish brightness from the headlights. The forest along both sides of the road was like a black wall - as hard as a wall of steel if we veered off the road at this speed.

"Relax, Bella." He rolled his eyes, still not slowing.

"Are you trying to kill us?" I demanded.

"We're not going to crash."

I tried to modulate my voice. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

"I always drive like this." He smiled crookedly at me.

"Keep your eyes on the road!"

"I've never been in an accident, Bella - I've never even gotten a ticket." He grinned and tapped his forehead. "Built-in radar detector."

"Very funny." I fumed. "Charlie's a cop, remember? I was raised to abide by traffic laws. Besides, if you turn us into a Volvo pretzel around a tree trunk, you can probably just walk away."

"Probably," he agreed with a short, hard laugh. "But you can't." He sighed, and I watched with relief as the needle gradually drifted toward eighty. "Happy?"

"Almost."

"I hate driving slow," he muttered.

"This is slow?"

"Enough commentary on my driving," he snapped.

''Anyway I'm not too sure how to say it . . . '' he paused.

'' just spit it out'' I choked out, weighting for the rejection.

He sighed ''Bella are you deaf.''

I looked down, I didn't know if he was talking, and in that moment I didn't care. Just like I didn't notice the car had stopped and we were pulled over on the side of the road, until I felt a cold pair of hands lift my chin up and I was smouldered with the sight of deep pools of topaz.

''Bella that's nothing to be ashamed of.'' He consoled me.

''I I- know I just didn't want anyone to know, I didn't want them to treat me any differently, like they did to Angelia,'' I said softly.

'' well don't worry we won't tell anyone'' we? What?

''we?'' I asked confused.

''he smiled at me, '' my family know as well there's no secrets in our house, it's kind of impossible'' he started driving one said anything for a minute then he spoke up.

"I'm still waiting for your latest theory."

I bit my lip. He looked down at me, his honey eyes unexpectedly gentle.

"I won't laugh," he promised.

"I'm more afraid that you'll be angry with me."

"Is it that bad?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

He waited..

"Go ahead."

"I don't know how to start," I admitted.

"Why don't you start at the beginning... did you come up with this on your own."

"No."

"What got you started - a book? A movie?" he probed. I decided to leave Jacob out of this, he said he wasn't supposed to tell me, I dint want to get him in trouble.

"well I had some suspicions then I went on the internet and did some research" I hesitated.

"Go on," he said.

"About vampires." I realized I was whispering. I couldn't look at his face now. But I saw his knuckles tighten convulsively on the wheel.

I looked up "And you immediately thought of me?" Still calm.

"yes. There were some resemblances."

He was silent, staring at the road.

"did that convince you?" His hands were clamped hard onto the steering wheel.

"No. Nothing fit. Most of it was kind of silly. And then..." I stopped.

"What?"

"I decided it didn't matter," I whispered.

"It didn't matter?" His face was incredulous, with just a hint of the anger I'd feared.

"No," I said softly. "It doesn't matter to me what you are."

"You don't care if I'm a monster? If I'm not human!" he damaned.

"No."

He was silent, staring straight ahead again. His face was bleak and cold.

"You're angry," I sighed. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No," he said, "I'd rather know what you're thinking - even if what you're thinking is insane."

"So I'm wrong again?" I challenged.

"That's not what I was referring to. 'It doesn't matter'!" he quoted, gritting his teeth together.

"I'm right?" I gasped.

"Does it matter?"

I took a deep breath.

"Not really." I paused. "But I am curious." My voice, at least, was composed.

He was suddenly resigned. "What are you curious about?"

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen," he answered promptly.

"And how long have you been seventeen?"

His lips twitched as he stared at the road. "A while," he admitted at last.

"Okay." "Don't laugh - but how can you come out during the daytime?"

He laughed anyway. "Myth."

"Burned by the sun?"

"Myth."

"Sleeping in coffins?"

"Myth." He hesitated for a moment, and a peculiar tone entered his voice. "I can't sleep."

It took me a minute to absorb that. "At all?"

"Never," he said, his voice nearly inaudible. He turned to look at me with a wistful expression. The golden eyes held mine, and I lost my train of thought. I stared at him until he looked away.

"You haven't asked me the most important question yet." His voice was

hard now, and when he looked at me again his eyes were cold.

I blinked, still dazed. "Which one is that?"

"You aren't concerned about my diet?" he asked sarcastically.

"Oh," I murmured, "that."

"Yes, that." His voice was bleak. "Don't you want to know if I drink blood?"

I flinched.

He looked forward, but I couldn't tell if he was watching the road or not.

"we don't kill humans, we kill animals instead.''

"Don't let that make you complacent, though," he warned me. " We are still dangerous."

"I don't understand."

"We try," he explained slowly. "We're usually very good at what we do. Sometimes we make mistakes. Me, for example, allowing myself to be alone with you."

"This is a mistake?"

"A very dangerous one," he admitted.

"Tell me more," I asked desperately, not caring what he said, just so I could hear his voice again.

He looked at me quickly, startled by the change in my tone. "What more do you want to know?"

"Tell me why you hunt animals instead of people," I suggested,. I realized my eyes were wet, and I fought against the grief that was trying to overpower me.

"I don't want to be a monster." His voice was very low.

"But animals aren't enough?"

He paused. "I can't be sure, of course, but I'd compare it to living on tofu and soy milk; we call ourselves vegetarians, our little inside joke. It doesn't completely satiate the hunger - or rather thirst. But it keens us strong enough to resist. Most of the time." His tone turned ominous.

"Sometimes it's more difficult than others."

"Is it very difficult for you now?" I asked.

He sighed. "Yes."

"But you're not hungry now," I said confidently - stating, not asking.

"Why do you think that?"

"Your eyes. I told you I had a theory. I've noticed that people - men in particular - are crabbier when they're hungry."

He chuckled. "You are observant, aren't you?"

I didn't answer.

"Were you hunting this weekend, with Emmett?" I asked when it was quiet again.

"Yes." He paused for a second, as if deciding whether or not to say something. "I didn't want to leave, but it was necessary. It's a bit easier to be around you when I'm not thirsty."

"Why didn't you want to leave?"

"It makes me... anxious... to be away from you." His eyes were gentle but intense, and they seemed to be making my bones turn soft. "I wasn't joking when I asked you to try not to fall in the ocean or get run over last Thursday. I was distracted all weekend, worrying about you. And after what happened tonight, I'm surprised that you did make it through a whole weekend unscathed." He shook his head.

"What?"

'' It was a very long three days. I really got on Emmett's nerves." He smiled ruefully at me.

"Three days? Didn't you just get back today?"

"No, we got back Sunday."

"Then why weren't any of you in school?" I was frustrated, almost angry as I thought of how much disappointment I had suffered because of his absence.

"Well, you asked if the sun hurt me, and it doesn't. But I can't go out in the sunlight - at least, not where anyone can see."

"Why?"

"I'll show you sometime," he promised.

I thought about it for a moment.

The darkness slipped by us in silence.

"Tell me something," I asked after another minute, and I could hear him struggle to use a lighter tone.

"Yes?"

I sighed. We were slowing, passing into the boundaries of Forks. It had taken less than twenty minutes.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" I demanded.

"Yes - I have a paper due, too." He smiled. "I'll save you a seat at lunch."

It was silly, after everything we'd been through tonight, how that little promise sent flutters through my stomach, and made me unable to speak.

We were in front of Charlie's house. The lights were on, my truck in its place, everything utterly normal. It was like waking from a dream. He stopped the car, but I didn't move.

"Do you promise to be there tomorrow?"

"I promise.

I considered that for a moment, then nodded. I pulled his jacket off, taking one last whiff.

"You can keep it - you don't have a jacket for tomorrow," he reminded me.

I handed it back to him. "I don't want to have to explain to Charlie."

"Oh, right." He grinned.

I hesitated, my hand on the door handle, trying to prolong the moment.

"Bella?" he asked.

"Yes?" I turned back to him too eagerly.

"Will you promise me something?"

"Yes," I said, and instantly regretted my unconditional agreement. What if he asked me to stay away from him? I couldn't keep that promise.

"Don't go into the woods alone."

I stared at him in blank confusion. "Why?"

He frowned, and his eyes were tight as he stared past me out the window.

"I'm not always the most dangerous thing out there. Let's leave it at that."

I shuddered slightly at the sudden bleakness in his voice, but I was relieved. This, at least, was an easy promise to honour. "Whatever you say."

"I'll see you tomorrow," he sighed, and I knew he wanted me to leave now.

"Tomorrow, then." I opened the door unwillingly.

"Bella?" he asked.

"Sleep well," he said. His breath blew in my face, stunning me. It was the same exquisite scent that clung to his jacket, but in a more concentrated form. I blinked, thoroughly dazed. He leaned away.

I was unable to move until my brain had somewhat unscrambled itself. Then I stepped out of the car awkwardly, having to use the frame for support. He waited till I had stumbled to the front door, I turned to watch the silver car disappear around the corner. I realized it was very cold.

I reached for the key mechanically, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

"hey, Dad, it's me." I walked in to see him in the sitting room, He was watching a baseball game.

"You're home early."

"Am I?" I was surprised.

"It's not even eight yet," he told me. "Did you girls have fun?"

"Yeah - it was lots of fun." My head was spinning as I tried to remember all the way back to the girls' night out I had planned. "she found a dresses."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm just tired. I did a lot of walking."

"Well, maybe you should go lie down." He looked concerned. I wondered what my face looked like.

"I'm just going to text Angelia first."

"Weren't you just with her?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes - but I left my jacket in her car. I want to make sure she brings it tomorrow."

"Well, give her a chance to get home first."

"Right," I agreed.

I went to the kitchen and fell, exhausted, into a chair. I was really feeling dizzy now. I wondered if I was going to go into shock after all. Get a grip, I told myself.

I grabbed my phone and text her.

_Ang_

_Heyy, I'm home,_

_I left my jacket in your car,_

_Would you mind brining it in tomorrow,_

_Thanks._

_Bella. xxx_

I walked up the stairs slowly, a heavy stupor clouding my mind. I went through the motions of getting ready for bed without paying any attention to what I was doing. It wasn't until I was in the shower - the water too hot, burning my skin - that I realized I was freezing. I shuddered violently for several minutes before the steaming spray could finally relax my rigid muscles. Then I stood in the shower, too tired to move, until the hot water began to run out.

I stumbled out, wrapping myself securely in a towel, trying to hold the heat from the water in so the aching shivers wouldn't return. I dressed for bed swiftly and climbed under my quilt, curling into a ball, hugging myself to keep warm. A few small shudders trembled through me.

_Bell,_

_Sure, thanks for coming with me today,_

_Ang. Xxx_

I know it was only a text, but I could tell something was wrong with her.

_Ang,_

_Thanks, is something wrong?_

_Bella, xxx_

I waited for a few minis for her to answer.

_Bell,_

_Wow your good,_

_I'm ok for now, I'll talk to you about it tomorrow,_

_Goodnight,_

_Ang. Xxx_

I wonder what could be wrong with her, I let it slide but promise I would find out tomorrow, and help her any way I could.

_Ang,_

_goodnight,_

_Bella. xxx_

My mind still swirled dizzily, full of images I couldn't understand, and some I fought to repress. Nothing seemed clear at first, but as I fell gradually closer to unconsciousness, a few certainties became evident.

About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was part of him - and I didn't know how potent that part might be - that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

**I love that last line; don't know why I just do. This is for ****spockdatabones Bella's mom is dead, she wasn't dreaming, that was Angelia's mom they went shopping with, sorry if I didn't make it clear., check out my new story **_**twilight girls**_** I'll update this at the weekend. Thank you, please review, ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**


	15. Chapter 14: INTERROGATIONS :)

**Chapter 14: INTERROGATIONS**

It was very hard, in the morning, to argue with the part of me that was sure last night was a dream. I clung to the parts I couldn't have imagined - like his smell. I was sure I could never have dreamed that up on my own. But then I wished that he didn't know I was deaf, he may say he would treat me the same, but they never do, even my mom acted like I could brake if she looked at me too long.

It was still really hard to even think about mom. But since I moved to forks it's getting a bit better. I still miss her like crazy and I wish she was here so bad, but I can think about her without bursting out into tears. That's better right?

it was cloud covered outside my window, absolutely perfect. He had no reason not to be in school today. I dressed in my heavy clothes, remembering I didn't have a jacket. Further proof that my memory was real.

When I got downstairs, Charlie was gone again, Hopefully the rain would hold off until I could find Angelia, with my jacket I need to ask her what was wrong, I really hope she's ok.

It was unusually foggy. The mist was ice cold where it clung to the exposed skin on my face and neck. I couldn't wait to get the heat going in my truck. It was such a thick fog that I was a few feet down the driveway before I realized there was a car in it: a silver car. My heart thudded, stuttered, and then picked up again in double time.

I didn't see where he came from, but suddenly he was there, pulling the door open for me.

"Do you want to ride with me today?" he asked, He was really giving me a choice - I was free to refuse, and part of him hoped for that. It was a vain hope.

"Yes, thank you," I said

"I brought the jacket for you. I didn't want you to get sick or something." I noticed that he wore no jacket himself, just a light grey knit V-neck shirt with long sleeves. Again, the fabric clung to his perfectly muscled chest.

"I'm not quite that delicate," I said, but I pulled the jacket onto my lap, pushing my arms through the too-long sleeves, curious to see if the scent could possibly be as good as I remembered. It was better.

"Aren't you?" he said really fast I barely caught it. I smirked he obviously forgot I could read his lips.

We drove through the fog-shrouded streets, always too fast, feeling awkward. I was, at least. Last night all the walls were down... almost all.

I didn't know if we were still being as candid today. It left me tongue-tied. I waited for him to speak.

He turned to smirk at me. "What, no twenty questions today?"

"Do my questions bother you?" I asked, relieved.

"Not as much as your reactions do." He looked like he was joking, but I couldn't be sure.

I frowned. "Do I react badly?"

"No, that's the problem. You take everything so coolly - it's unnatural. It makes me wonder what you're really thinking."

"I always tell you what I'm really thinking."

"You edit," he accused.

"Not very much."

"Enough to drive me insane."

"You don't want to hear it," I mumbled. As soon as the words were out, I regretted them. He didn't respond, and I wondered if I had ruined the mood. His face was unreadable as we drove into the school parking lot. Something occurred to me belatedly.

"Where's the rest of your family?" I asked remembering that his car was usually full.

"They took Rosalie's car." He shrugged as he parked next to a glossy red convertible with the top up. "stands out doesn't it?"

"Um, wow," I breathed. "If she has that, why does she ride with you?"

"Like I said, it stands out. We try to blend in."

"You don't succeed." I laughed and shook my head as we got out of the car. his crazy driving had gotten me to school in plenty of time. "So why did Rosalie drive today if it's more conspicuous?"

"Hadn't you noticed? I'm breaking all the rules now." He met me at the front of the car, staying very close to my side as we walked onto campus.

"Why do you have cars like that at all?" I wondered aloud. "If you're looking for privacy?"

"We all like to drive fast." he admitted with an impish smile. 

''Figures''

Under the shelter of the cafeteria roof's overhang, Angela was waiting, Over her arm, thank god, was my jacket.

"Hey, Angelia," I said when we were a few feet away. "Thanks for remembering." She handed me my jacket without speaking.

"Good morning, Angelia," Edward said politely.

"hiI guess I'll see you later Bell." She gave me a look.

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

She walked away, pausing twice to peek back over her shoulder at us. And she smiled sadly at me.

I sighed, something was wrong.

''are you ok?'' I had to smile at Edwards's concern.

''yeah I am, can't say the same about Angelia though, something's wrong.'' I gave him a half-hearted smile.

His face turned to understanding. ''do you know what's wrong?'' he asked.

I shook my head. ''no. you?'' I asked teasingly, he gave me a look that said, 'are you crazy, you know I do'

''she'll tell me when she's ready, I hope she's ok.'' I said worryingly.

He shook his head ''no she's fine, trust me''.

''I do''

''you shouldn't'' didn't he just tell me to trust him? I let it slide.

''Jessica is weighting to talk to you in trig, she saw you get out of my car.'' He smirked.

I groaned as I pulled off his jacket and handed it to him, replacing it with my own. He folded it over his arm.

"So what are you going to tell her?"

"A little help?" I pleaded. "What does she want to know?"

We stopped outside the door to my first class.

"She wants to know if we're secretly dating. And she wants to know how you feel about me," he finally said.

"Yikes. What should I say?" I tried to keep my expression very innocent. People were passing us on their way to class, probably staring, but I was barely aware of them.

"Hmmm." He paused to catch a stray lock of hair that was escaping the twist on my neck and wound it back into place. My heart spluttered hyperactively. "I suppose you could say yes to the first... if you don't mind - it's easier than any other explanation."

"I don't mind," I said.

"And as for her other question... well, I'll be listening to hear the answer to that one myself." One side of his mouth pulled up into my favourite uneven smile. I couldn't catch my breath soon enough to respond to that remark. He turned and walked away.

I hurried into class, flushed and irritated. He was such a cheater. Now I was even more worried about what I was going to say to Jessica. I sat in my usual seat, slamming my bag down in aggravation.

Edward was right, of course. When I walked into Trig Jessica was sitting in the back row, nearly bouncing off her seat in agitation. I reluctantly went to sit by her, trying to convince myself it would be better to get it over with as soon as possible. And trying to think of a way to tell her I'm still mad.

"Tell me everything!" she commanded before I was in the seat.

"What do you want to know?" I asked annoyed she was so nosey, I was a bad liar so she would see through me if I tried.

''Edward Cullen picked you up for school today?" she stated, looking surprised.

"Yes - that was a surprise''

"So are you guys going out?"

''Erm . . . yes.'' It came out like a question.

"So you like him, then?" She wasn't about to give up.

"Yes," I said curtly.

"I mean, do you really like him?" she urged.

"Yes," I said again, trying to brush her off.  
She'd had enough with the single syllable answers. "How much do you like him?"

"Too much," I whispered back. "More than he likes me. But I don't see how I can help that." I sighed. Does she ever stop?

Then, thankfully, Mr Varner called on Jessica for an answer. I really didn't like her. I just don't know how to say no to people. Well most people.

"You're not sitting with us today, are you?" Angelia guessed, As we walked out of the Spanish classroom.

"I don't think so." I couldn't be sure that he wouldn't disappear inconveniently again.

But outside the door to our Spanish class, leaning against the wall - looking more like a Greek god than anyone had a right to - Edward was waiting for me.  
"See you later, Bella."

"Hello." His looked amused and irritated at the same time. He had been listening, it was obvious.

"Hi."

I couldn't think of anything else to say, and he didn't speak - biding his time, I presumed - so it was a quiet walk to the cafeteria. Walking with Edward through the crowded lunchtime rush was a lot like my first day here; everyone stared.

He led the way into the line, still not speaking, though his eyes returned to my face every few seconds, their expression speculative. It seemed to me that irritation was winning out over amusement as the dominant emotion in his face. I fidgeted nervously with the zipper on my jacket.

He stepped up to the counter and filled a tray with food.

"What are you doing?" I objected. "You're not getting all that for me?"

He shook his head, stepping forward to buy the food.

"Half is for me, of course."

I raised one eyebrow. I'd like to see that.

He led the way to the same place we'd sat that one time before. From the other end of the long table, a group of seniors gazed at us in amazement as we sat across from each other. Edward seemed oblivious.

"Take whatever you want," he said, pushing the tray toward me.

"I'm curious," I said as I picked up an apple, turning it around in my hands, "what would you do if you ate food?"

"You're always curious." He grimaced, shaking his head. He glared at me, holding my eyes as he lifted the slice of pizza off the tray, and deliberately bit off a mouthful, chewed quickly, and then swallowed. I watched, eyes wide.

"If someone dared you to eat dirt, you could, couldn't you?" he asked.

I wrinkled my nose. "I did once" I admitted. "It wasn't so bad."

He laughed. "I suppose I'm not surprised."

I put down the apple and took a bite of the pizza, knowing he was about to start.

"Something you said to Jessica... well, it bothers me." He refused to be distracted. and he glanced up from under his lashes with troubled eyes. damn him.

"I'm not surprised you heard something you didn't like. You know what they say about eavesdroppers," I reminded him.

"I warned you I would be listening."

"And I warned you that you didn't want to know everything I was thinking."

"You did," he agreed. "You aren't right, though. I do want to know what you're thinking - everything. I just wish... that you wouldn't be thinking some things."

I scowled. "That's quite a distinction."

"But that's not really the point at the moment."

"Then what is?" We were inclined toward each other across the table now.

"Do you truly believe that you care more for me than I do for you?" leaning closer to me as he spoke, his dark golden eyes piercing.

I tried to remember how to exhale. I had to look away before it came back to me.

"You're doing it again," I muttered.

His eyes opened wide with surprise. "What?"

"Dazzling me," I admitted, trying to concentrate as I looked back at him.

"Oh." He frowned.

"It's not your fault," I sighed. "You can't help it."

"Are you going to answer the question?"

"Yes."

"Yes, you are going to answer, or yes, you really think that?" He was irritated again.

"Yes, I really think that."

"You're wrong."

His eyes were gentle.

"You can't know that," I disagreed. I shook my head in doubt, though my heart throbbed at his words and I wanted so badly to believe them.

"What makes you think so?" His liquid topaz eyes were penetrating - trying futilely, I assumed, to lift the truth straight from my mind.

"Well, aside from the obvious, sometimes..." I hesitated. "I can't be sure - I don't know how to read minds - but sometimes it seems like you're trying to say goodbye when you're saying something else." That was the best I could sum up the sensation of anguish that his words triggered in me at times.

"Perceptive,". And there was the anguish again, surfacing as he confirmed my fear. "That's exactly why you're wrong, though," he began to explain, but then his eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, 'the obvious'?"

"Well, look at me," I said, unnecessarily as he was already staring. "I'm absolutely ordinary - well, except for bad things like all the near-death experiences and being so clumsy that I'm almost disabled. And look at you." I waved my hand toward him and all his bewildering perfection.

His brow creased angrily for a moment, then smoothed as his eyes took on a knowing look. "You don't see yourself very clearly, you know. I'll admit you're dead-on about the bad things," he chuckled blackly, "but you didn't hear what every human male in this school was thinking on your first day."

I blinked, astonished. "I don't believe it..." I mumbled to myself.

"Trust me just this once - you are the opposite of ordinary."

"But I'm not saying goodbye," I pointed out.

"Don't you see? That's what proves me right. I care the most, because if I can do it" - he shook his head, seeming to struggle with the thought - "if leaving is the right thing to do, then I'll hurt myself to keep from hurting you, to keep you safe."

I glared. "And you don't think I would do the same?"

"You'd never have to make the choice."

Abruptly, his unpredictable mood shifted again; a mischievous, devastating smile rearranged his features. "Of course, keeping you safe is beginning to feel like a full-time occupation that requires my constant presence."

"No one has tried to do away with me today," I reminded him, grateful for the lighter subject. I didn't want him to talk about goodbyes anymore. If I had to, I supposed I could purposefully put myself in danger to keep him close... I banished that thought before his quick eyes read it on my face. That idea would definitely get me in trouble.

"Yet," he added.

"Yet," I agreed; I would have argued, but now I wanted him to be expecting disasters.

"I have another question for you." His face was still casual.

"Shoot."

"Do you really need to go to Seattle this Saturday, or can we go somewhere else''

"I'm open to alternatives," I allowed. "But I do have a favor to ask."

He looked wary, as he always did when I asked an open-ended question. "What?"

"Can I drive?"

He frowned. "Why?"

"Well, mostly because when I told Charlie I was going to Seattle, he specifically asked if I was going alone and, at the time, I was. If he asked again, I probably wouldn't lie, but I don't think he will ask again, and leaving my truck at home would just bring up the subject unnecessarily. And also, because you're driving frightens me."

He rolled his eyes. "Of all the things about me that could frighten you, you worry about my driving." He shook his head in disgust, but then his eyes were serious again.

''I have to talk to Angelia before class'' I really didn't want to leave him but something was wrong with her and I wanted to help. He nodded, smiling at my concern for my friend and I walked over to Angelia and ben.

''Heyy can I talk to you for a minute.'' I asked her. She nodded, and said bye to ben, he got up and walked over to his other friends.

''Angelia what's wrong?'' I said seriously.

''I- it's nothing really, it's stupid, you don't need to hear . . .'' I cut her off.

''it's not stupid Ang, whatever it is.'' I consoled her.

'' ok well I found out the other day if I had surgery to fix my hearing, there's a 95% chance it would work.'' I was confused, that was good news, wasn't it?

''Angelia that's great.'' I said very confused.

She smiled sadly at me. ''it is I was so excited, I've always wondered what birds sound like, music, singing, voices, I was just happy to have a chance to hear.'' I know how she felt but I never had a chance.

''I don't get it, that's good, right?'' I asked.

She nodded. ''yes, but . . .'' she stopped.

''but . . .'' I probed.

''I can't afford it, it will cost over eleven thousand, that's just too much.'' She said sadly, I didn't even have to think about the next words that came out of my mouth.

''I'll pay for it.'' Of coerce I couldn't be sure how load I said it, but judging by the fact that several people jumped 10 feet in the air I'm guessing it was loud.

''what?'' she asked wide- eyed. ''Bella no, no way, you're not doing that. It's too much, nuh uh, no way in hell.''

''hum how about hell yes I am. Angelia did I ever tell you my mom got remarried after she left my dad.'' I knew I hadn't, I never talk about that, a- hole anymore. She shook her head.

''well he had a lot of money, I was 10 when the bas . . . um he died and he left all his money to my mom, and after my mom died . . .'' I'm pretty sure my voice cracked on the last word. ''she left all the money to me, I don't want it and I would rather spend it on you, Ang you are my only friend, please let me do this for you.'' She kept shaking her head. ''please'' I pleaded.

''no Bella, I can't it's too much and nothing you can say will change my mind.'' She disagreed.

'' imagine how good it would be to hear Ang, bird's, wind, voices Ang voices your mom's, your dads, your brother's, bens, common you have to want to know what they sound like, I know you want to, music, I know you want to listen to music, all music, good, bad, just noise, please let me do this for you, Ang you don't have to pay me back, you can if you really, really want but I'd rather you didn't, come on Ang, please for me.'' I pleaded with everything I had. That was the longest thing I had said ever, she still shook her head, damn it, if I can't hear I'm not going to let that happen to her especially if there is a good chance she can hear.

''ok damn it Ang your killing me here, I'll tell you what come over to my house tonight at 7 just for a few minutes, there's something I need to tell you, please.'' I was begging, I would get down on my knees. But that might look a bit weird.

She sighed. ''ok ill come over, but I don't think there's a lot you could say to get me to change my mind.'' She said. I nodded, I bet there was something I would tell Angelia one of my biggest secrets, I was deaf, that wasn't my biggest secret though, that was too painful for even my mind to relive it, I hadn't told anyone, the only other person who know of it is Charlie and a few police officers in phoenix . . .

**Sorry it's late, I've been busy but here you are chapter 14, next chapter up soon, I'm sick of this question but any who, should James vampire Bella up in the ballet studio or Edward save her? Please answer and review, I hope you like this chapter.**


	16. Chapter 16: ANOTHER COMPLICATION :)

**Chapter 16: ANOTHER ****COMPLICATION**

In bio we watched a dvd, on . . . something I couldn't concentrate with Edward beside me, plus I only knew what they were saying when I stared at their lips, and most of the movie they were turned away from me, so I had no idea. The hour seemed very long.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Mr. Banner flicked the lights back on at the end of class, and stretched my arms out in front of me, flexing my stiff fingers.

"Well, that was interesting," he said,

"yeah, I didn't really know what that was about" I responded.

I was still staring at his lips, not going anywhere near those smouldering eyes.

''I thought you could read lips,'' he questioned, looking confused.

''I can, just not when their back is turned.'' I said in a no duh way.

"Shall we?" he asked, rising fluidly. Forgetting out conversation ever happened.

I almost groaned. Time for Gym.  
He walked me to my next class and paused at the door; I turned to say goodbye. His face startled me - his expression was torn, almost pained, and so fiercely beautiful that the ache to touch him flared as strong as before. My goodbye stuck in my throat.

''ill see you after class.''

He turned without another word and strode quickly away from me.

I walked into the gym, lightheaded and wobbly. I went to the locker room, changing in a trancelike state, only vaguely aware that there were other people surrounding me. Reality didn't fully set in until I was handed a racket. It wasn't heavy, yet it felt very unsafe in my hand. I could see a few of the other kids in class eyeing me furtively. Coach Clapp ordered us to pair up into teams.

Unfortunately Mike didn't have a partner and neither did I. if I didn't know better I would have said he became my partner on purpose, well he knows he's going to get hurt, I thought as he came to stand beside me.

It didn't go well. I somehow managed to hit Mike right on the nose and his shoulder on the same swing. I spent the rest of the hour in the back corner of the court, the racket held safely behind my back. Despite being paired with me, Mike was pretty good; he won three games out of four single handily. He gave me an unearned high five he was acting normal today or so I thought, until the coach finally blew the whistle ending class.

"So," he said as we walked off the court.

"So what?"

"You and Cullen, huh?" he asked. My previous thought disappeared.

"That's none of your business, Mike," I warned, internally cursing Jessica straight to the fiery pits of Hades.

"I don't like it," he said anyway.

"Yeah well guess what you don't have to," I snapped. I never realised how creepy I might seem staring at someone's lips all day.

"He looks at you like... like you're something to eat," he continued, ignoring me.

a small giggle managed to get out despite my efforts. I waved and fled to the locker room.

I dressed quickly, Edward was waiting, leaning casually against the side of the gym, his breathtaking face untroubled now. As I walked to his side, I felt a peculiar sense of release.

"Hi," I breathed, smiling hugely.

"Hello." His answering smile was brilliant. "How was Gym?"

My face fell a tiny bit. "Fine," I lied. Looking him I the eyes, bad idea, I knew he was talking but I couldn't brake eye contact to see his lips. 

But he did and stared intently behind my shoulder. I stared at his lips in case he said anything. "Newton's getting on my nerves." Yeah mine too.

''what's he thinking,'' I asked what could make Edward so mad; he just shook his pretty head.

We walked to the Volvo not saying anything, well I don't know about him I kept my head down trying not to trip.

I'll be on your doorstep bright and early Saturday morning." I had been staring at his lips for the whole drive; I only realized we were at my house then. ''I'll be here Saturday.'' He says.

"Um, it doesn't help with the Charlie situation if an unexplained Volvo is left in the driveway."

His smile was condescending now. "I wasn't intending to bring a car."

"How -"  
**  
**He cut me off. "Don't worry about it. I'll be there, no car."__

no one talked for a moment, and I knew what was coming.

''I didn't know your mom got remarried.'' He stated.

''I don't like to talk about it.'' I replied simply.

''why not? Did you not like him.'' I kept staring at his lips; I would crack and tell everything about _him_ if I even glanced at his eyes, and I said I would never talk about _him_ ever again.

''that's the understatement of a century.'' No one liked him, not even mom.

He almost smiled, sensing I didn't want to talk about it, he changed the subject.

''so you're going to tell Angelia your deaf.'' I was shocked, how did he know? He mused of read my expression because he smiled and answered my unsaid question.

''do you remember when you asked if anyone else in my family could read minds?'' I nodded.

''well they can't but we have special powers, like Alice she can see the future, she saw you telling her and I read her mind'' I wonder if she saw me coming?

''what are your families gifts?'' I asked. He shook his head.

''ill tell you Saturday, chief Swan will be home soon.'' I nodded getting out still looking at him when his lips read.

"Oh, Bella?"  
"Yes?"

"Tomorrow it's my turn."

"Your turn to what?"

He smiled wider, flashing his gleaming teeth. "Ask the questions.'' I knew what was coming.

And then he was gone, the car speeding down the street and disappearing around the corner before I could even collect my thoughts. I smiled as I walked to the house. It was clear he was planning to see me tomorrow, if nothing else.

Before I knew it Angelia texted me saying she was here. We were sitting on my bed when she asked the all-important question.

''so what did you want to talk about? You looked so serous earlier on''

''I know, look Ang there is no easy way to say what I'm about to say.'' I started,

''Bella just tell me, it's fine,''

''I- I'm like you'' she looked confused. I knew she didn't know what I was saying.

''I should have told you sooner, I know I should of, I'm sorry,''

''I don't understand''

''Ang I'm deaf, I'm sorry I didn't say anything, I didn't want anyone to know, I wasn't planning on ever telling anyone, then you became my friend and I knew I had to tell you, I just didn't know how or when to do it. Now seemed like a good time, Ang no surgery would ever be able to fix my hearing. And I'm not going to let you not get that surgery just because you can't afford it, I can, I can afford 100 surgery's, I was planning on giving all my money to charity anyway. Not that your charity but because you've been my best friend, who's my age and I want to help. Please let me help.'' I pleaded.

She gave me a hug and we pulled back so I could see what she was saying. ''Bella you should have told me. but it doesn't matter, I'm not taking your money, I'll find a way to pay for it but even if you don't want the money I can't take it, give it to charity they need it more than I do.'' I nodded secretly forming a plan to get her to take my money.

********TWILIGHT********

When I woke I was still tired. Breakfast was the usual, quiet event I expected. Charlie fried eggs for himself; I had my bowl of cereal.

Charlie left then, with a goodbye wave, and I went upstairs to brush my teeth and gather my books. When I heard the cruiser pull away, I could only wait a few seconds before I had to peek out of my window. The silver car was already there, waiting in Charlie's spot on the driveway. I bounded down the stairs and out the front door, I never wanted this bizarre routine to end.

"Good morning. How are you today?" His eyes roamed over my face, as if his question was something more than simple courtesy.

"Good, thank you." I was always good - much more than good - when I was near him.

His gaze lingered on the circles under my eyes. "You look tired."

"I couldn't sleep," I confessed. I think it was awkward me staring at his face the hole time, not that I didn't want to, it just felt like I was staring too much, not that I cared.  
"Neither could I," he teased as he started the engine. 

"So what did you do last night?" I asked.

"Not a chance. It's my day to ask questions."

"Oh, that's right. What do you want to know?" wishing he wouldn't ask about _him._

"What's your favourite colour?" he asked, his face grave.

I rolled my eyes. "Green"

We were at the school by now. He turned back to me as he pulled into a parking space.

It continued like that for the rest of the day. all through the lunch hour, he questioned me relentlessly about every insignificant detail of my existence. Movies I'd liked and hated, the few places I'd been and the many places I wanted to go, and books - endlessly books.

Gym passed quickly as I watched Mike's one-man badminton show. He didn't speak to me today, I hurried to change afterward,

"Are you finished?" I asked in relief. As we pulled up to charlies house

"Not even close - but your father will be home soon."

"Charlie!" I suddenly recalled his existence, and sighed. I looked out at the rain-darkened sky, but it gave nothing away. "How late is it?" I wondered out loud as I glanced at the clock. I was surprised by the time - Charlie would be driving home now.

"It's twilight," Edward said.

''Bella you know I'm here if you want to talk about anything'' I knew what he was talking about, but I couldn't.

''no I'm fine'' I lied, shaking my head.

He sighed. ''you know you can trust me with anything, I won't tell anyone,'' I believed him, but I wasn't ready to relive it, not yet. I felt bad for not telling him,

''no'' I said firmly avoiding eye contact.

He sighed again. "ok Charlie will be here in a few minutes. So, unless you want to tell him that you'll be with me Saturday..." He raised one eyebrow.

"Thanks, but no thanks." I gathered my books, realizing I was stiff from sitting still so long. "So is it my turn tomorrow, then?"

"Certainly not!" His face was teasingly outraged. "I told you I wasn't done, didn't I?"

"What more is there?"

"You'll find out tomorrow." He reached across to open my door for me, and his sudden proximity sent my heart into frenzied palpitations.

But his hand froze on the handle.

"Not good," he said closing his eyes.

"What is it?" I was surprised to see that his jaw was clenched.

He glanced at me for a brief second. "Another complication,". I didn't know what he was talking about,

He flung the door open in one swift movement, and then moved, almost cringed, swiftly away from me.

The flash of headlights through the rain caught my attention as a dark car pulled up to the curb just a few feet away, facing us.

"Charlie's around the corner," he warned, staring through the downpour at the other vehicle.

I hopped out at once,  
I tried to make out the shapes in the front seat of the other car, but it was too dark. I could see Edward illuminated in the glare of the new car's headlights; he was still staring ahead, his gaze locked on something or someone I couldn't see. His expression was a strange mix of frustration and defiance.

The Volvo was out of sight in seconds.  
**  
**I saw it was Jacob, he was already climbing out, and his usual wide grin wasn't there, instead a scrawl in place. Like he smelt something bad, really bad, and even through the darkness I saw he wasn't wearing a shirt, and he got a hair- cut. Was that a tattoo? In the passenger seat was Billy. He was staring at me, scrutinizing my face, so I smiled tentatively at him. His eyes were wide, as if in shock or fear, his nostrils flared. My smile faded.

Another complication, Edward had said.

Billy still stared at me with intense, anxious eyes. I groaned internally. Had Billy recognized Edward so easily? Could he really believe the impossible legends his son had scoffed at?

The answer was clear in Billy's eyes. Yes. Yes, he could. And judging by Jacobs's expression. He now believed. Crap. I thought as I opened the door and I saw the cruiser lights flash into the driveway.


	17. Chapter 17: BAD JACOB :)

**Chapter 17: BAD JACOB**

"Billy!" I saw Charlie call as soon as he got out of the car.

I went inside, leaving the door open behind me and turning on lights before I hung up my jacket. Then I stood in the door, watching anxiously as Charlie and Jacob helped Billy out of the car and into his wheelchair.

I backed out of the way as the three of them hurried in, shaking off the rain.

"This is a surprise," Charlie was saying.

"It's been too long," Billy answered. "I hope it's not a bad time." His dark eyes flashed up to me again, their expression unreadable. As was Jacobs.

"No, it's great. I hope you can stay for the game."

Jacob grinned. "I think that's the plan - our TV broke last week." Then he looked at me but I just stared at Charlie, not wanting anymore proof that they knew.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, turning toward the kitchen. I was eager to escape Billy's searching gaze.

"No, we ate just before we came," Jacob answered. I still couldn't look them in the eyes.

"How about you, Charlie?" I asked turning to him.

"Sure," he replied,

The grilled cheese sandwiches were in the frying pan and I was slicing up a tomato when I sensed someone behind me.

"So, how are things?" Jacob asked. When I look at him, he's looking intently at my eyes, looking for something. He didn't find I felt uncomfortable; he sniffed the air, and scrunched his nose. What was that, I wanted to look away but I needed to know if he was talking.

"Pretty good." I said warily "How about you? Did you finish your car?"

"No." He frowned. "I still need parts. And l had a lot on my mind lately" he frowned.  
"Is something wrong with the truck?" he added suddenly.

"No."

"Oh. I just wondered because you weren't driving it."

I stared down at the pan, pulling up the edge of a sandwich to check the bottom side. "I got a ride with a friend." I knew it was coming, I looked at him just as he started speaking again.

"who was the driver.'' He asked curiously but his face said he already knew.

"Jacob, could you hand me some plates? They're in the cupboard over the sink." I say trying to unsuccessfully change the subject.

"Sure."

He got the plates in silence. I really hoped he would let it drop now.

"So who was it?" he asked, setting two plates on the counter next to me.

I sighed in defeat. "Edward Cullen."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself; he was shacking now, was he ok? He looked like he had his worst fear confirmed.

''Bella you need to stay away from him, he's no good for you, he'll hurt you Bella, promise me you'll stay away.'' He pleaded, yeah he knew.

''I don't think that's any of your business.'' I snapped annoyed now. He grabbed my wrist hard. It hurt, like he didn't even know his own strength, I whimpered, I would have a bruise there tomorrow.

He dragged me, literally, by the wrist out the back to the edge of the Forrest; it was only lightly drizzling now.

My wrist was lightly burning from the friction. Or was it from his skin, he was burning up.

''it is my business when it involves him . . .'' his face looked at the ground in disgust, before looking back up so I could see what he was saying. ''. . . and that bunch of bloodsuckers.'' He was shacking again, he squeezed my wrist tighter.

''ow Jacob let go.'' I whimpered again, I shivered from the cold, and I felt someone's stare on me but I didn't get time to look because Jacob was staring at something intently behind my shoulder. He started shacking more, vibrations trough out his body,

I felt something in my wrist snap, before I felt the pain, but then I did, and I screamed. I was jerked out of Jacobs embrace by cold hands. Right before my eyes as all of Jacob's cloth's ripped off as he turned into a giant russet colour wolf, and the whole world went black . . .

**I know its short, but this is my second chap tonight. So review please, next chap will be up soon, hope you like, ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx  
**


	18. Chapter 18: THE CULLEN HOUSE

**Chapter 18: THE CULLEN HOUSE**

I awoke to a blinding light and groaned, I blinked a few times before my eyes came into focus, I was in a white room, two walls were made of glass, I was completely confused until I felt a wave of came come over me, what was that? Then I saw 6 pairs of worried topaz eyes and a pair of knowing pixie eyes, she really could see the future.

I then felt a shooting pain come from my wrist. I hissed in pain.

''what happened?'' I asked.

Dr Cullen answered. ''Alice saw your future disappear so we all rushed to see if you were ok and we got there, Jacob was holding your wrist tight and then there was a snap. . .'' he trailed off and it all came back to me,

''and Jacob turned into a . . .'' I blacked out again. Was anything real anymore?

I felt a cold hand on my head, I blinked and was meat with 5 eyes, Jasper and Rosalie were gone.

I rubbed my eyes '' how long was I out?'' I asked.

Edward answered. ''the first time 15 minutes the second time 30 seconds.''

''sorry''

''don't be sorry Bella, I gave you some pain medication. You should feel better soon.'' Dr Cullen smiled at me.

''wait what about Charlie.'' I said suddenly remembering him, I tried to sit up. It was Edward this time who answered.

''Alice already text him saying you were staying at Angelia's tonight, you can stay here if you want. Alice brought you some cloths. He didn't even hear you scream.'' I nodded. My head pounding. I stared at the others embarrassed not sure what to do. I was biting my lip.

''how's my wrist''

''it's Brocken'' they all looked like they wanted to punch something especially Edward and Alice. Which confused me they were all mad. But why would they care about me? I was so confused, then a wave of calm hit me. what was that, I was too relaxed to really care.

''Where's Jacob?'' even though he hurt me I didn't want him hurt, and he owed me answers.

''the dog ran away like the scared little puppy he is.'' Emmett scoffed.

Esme stepped forward and spoke, smiling warmly at me. ''Hello dear we haven't been introduced yet, I'm Esme, its lovely to meet you sweaty.'' She was so sweat and mother- like, it made me miss my mother more, but I already loved Esme.

''it's a pleasure to meet you too Esme'' I replied. No one talked for a minute and one by one they started to leave it was just me and Edward, I realized I was in a guest bedroom. I yawned, Edward chuckled.

''go to sleep beautiful.'' I didn't want to, but damn pain medication makes me tired.

I slept better that night, too tired to dream again. When I woke to the pearl grey morning, my mood was blissful. I got dressed. It was harder with the cast on my wrist but I got it eventually. I opened my door to see Emmett standing there grinning at me, his dimples showing.

He started waving at me, really fast, his arm was a blur, '' hi Belly. I'm Emmett'' he stuck out his hand. We hadn't been formally introduced yet.

''hello Emmett, nice to meet you'' I blushed, he chuckled. Next thing I knew I was on his shoulder in the kitchen. With a squeal from me.

Alice was suddenly in front of me, I was still on Emmett's shoulder. ''Emmett she's not a dog put her down, you don't want to know what will happen when Edward gets back which will be in 4 minutes and 34seconds.'' My heart broke a bit; Edward wasn't here, even if he was only 4 minutes away. Emmett put me down, I looked at his face, he was pouting, I was trying not to laugh. But the way they were acting, if I wasn't so perspective I wouldn't have noticed, something was off. Something was wrong. But I just couldn't figure out what.

He started jumping up and down, ''oh, oh, oh. Can I feed her please, oh please Alice please let me feed her.'' He begged I burst out laughing, did he think I was some kind of dog or something?

I looked at Alice for her response. But instead Edward was suddenly there, looking annoyed, I was ecstatic. '' As Alice pointed out Emmett, Bella is not an animal, she is perfectly capable of feeding herself.'' I nodded.

Alice pulled me down on a chair at the table. ''I'll get you breakfast Bella''

I was about to tell her she didn't have to when she turned back around so I could see her face. ''nonsense Bella Esme's been cooking all morning she hasn't gotten to in so long, she loves it.'' I hadn't even noticed Esme at the cooker. It smelt lovely. A cold hard hand was pocking my shoulder I turned, but Emmett kept pocking me.

He looked sheepishly to my left. I followed his gaze to see Edward sitting on the other side of me, glairing daggers at Emmett. ''good morning'' I saw him say, politely. I mumbled a 'hello' and turned back to Emmett who was now playing with my hair. Was he secretly a child?

''so Belly . . .'' I liked my nickname, I never had a personal one before, sure I had Bella but only because I didn't like Isabella. ''. . . what's it like being deaf''

''quiet'' I joked smiling, what else was I really meant to say though? He chuckled.

He rolled his eyes ''even I could have guessed that'' and I think even to him, that was saying something.

My nose was assaulted by the smell of eggs, bacon and pancake's. I looked up and my eyes went wide. Holy mother of fudge sticks. WOW. There was a lot of food; I mean more than I've eaten in the last 4 months. I felt Edward stiffen. What was that about?

I looked up at Esme, she looked worried, ''are you alright, did I make too much? I didn't know how much people ate and I didn't want you hungry, you don't have to eat it all.'' I shook my head.

''no, no Esme its fine, erm maybe a bit too much, but it looks lovely, thank you.'' I smiled up at her, she could never know how much it really meant, and the only food I ever ate was my own, mom burnt water.

I knew something was off, I couldn't get my head around it. Sure they don't eat food, but they could guess how much I would eat, and wouldn't Alice have been able to see it?

After I ate as much as I could, (which wasn't much, I didn't eat much anymore), Edward lead me out the door to the car, he wasn't talking much. Something was on his mind.

I climbed in the passenger side quickly. He grinned his crooked smile at me, stopping my breath and my heart. I couldn't imagine how an angel could be any more glorious. There was nothing about him that could be improved upon. I think he was trying to be really nice so he could ask me a question. Because then he got serous.

''Bella I wanted to ask you something, and please be honest with me.'' I was wary, what would he want to know that he couldn't just ask me.

I nodded slowly.

''promise.'' His face looked so serous.

''I promise'' damn I shouldn't have said that, what if he wanted to know about Phil- no _him_ he shouldn't even deserve a name.

''Bella, . . .'' he hesitated. ''I know this is a personal question, but how much do you weigh?'' what? I was not expecting that at all.

''um'' I honestly didn't know. Why would he want to know that? ''I don't know, why?''

He hesitated, but answered anyway. ''when Carlisle was examining your wrist, he noticed you looked skinnier than you should be, and I was just wondering if you have been eating proubley.'' We were at the school now; we were early so we had time damn. I kept my eyes on his mouth, in case he said anything. Not daring to look in those topaz eyes.

Then something dawned on me. and I gasped, ''is that why Emmett picked me up today, he was seeing how light I was.'' Ugh I can't believe this. ''and Esme with all the food.'' Ahh I was angry, I opened the door and got out it was raining, nothing new there. I was standing outside my first class; I knew he was following behind. He grabbed my arm and spun me around.

''I'm sorry'' he said.

''wha . . .'' I started but was cut off by his lips brushing mine. Only for a second, then he walked off. I stood there for a second. Then walked into class blushing a million shades of red. Was that a real kiss? I spent my first few classes debating if it was or not. By lunch I had decided it was. My first real kiss.

I had decided the subject about my weight would be disused tomorrow, I was still . . . annoyed.

We were in the cafeteria at this point. The day had sped by in the blur that was rapidly becoming routine.

"You can always cancel tomorrow, you know."

"No," I was still looking at his face. "I can't."

"Perhaps you're right," His eyes seemed to darken in colour.

I changed the subject. "What time will I see you tomorrow?" I asked, already depressed by the thought of him leaving and I won't see him until tomorrow.

"That depends... it's a Saturday, don't you want to sleep in?" he offered.

"No," He smiled.

"The same time as usual, then," he decided. "Will Charlie be there?"

"No, he's fishing tomorrow." I beamed at the memory of how conveniently things had worked out.

I peeked quickly behind me at his family. They sat staring off in different directions, exactly the same as the first time I'd seen them.

"They don't like me," I guessed.

"That's not it," he disagreed, but his eyes were too innocent. "you saw how concerned they were yesterday. Just some have trouble understanding why I can't leave you alone."

"Neither do I, for that matter." I really didn't. I knew I was a danger magnet, but I wasn't that bad . . . was I?

Edward shook his head slowly, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling before he met my gaze again. "I told you - you don't see yourself clearly at all. You're not like anyone I've ever known. You fascinate me."

I glared at him, sure he was teasing now.

He smiled as he deciphered my expression. "Having the advantages I do," he touched his forehead discreetly, "I have a better than average grasp of human nature. People are predictable. But you... you never do what I expect. You always take me by surprise." I didn't say anything back. What would I say?

" We still have fifteen minutes of that wretched movie left to endure in Biology - I don't know if I can take any more." He changed the subject. I agreed before we headed to biology. If it wasn't for the electric current flowing through me and Edward I would have fallen asleep watching that movie. Really what was it about?

_

Before I knew it, I was in his Volvo outside my house.

''Charlie will be home soon,'' he looked torn, like he didn't want to go, it was proubley something else, why would he want to stay here? With me?

"I'll see you tomorrow," I sighed.

"It seems like a long time to you, doesn't it?" he stated.

I nodded glumly.

"I'll be there in the morning," he promised, smiling his crooked smile. He reached across the table to touch my face, lightly brushing along my cheekbone again. Reminding me of the kiss earlier, I blushed.

''promise me you'll try to be safe.'' he glared at me.

I held up my hands in surrender. "I promise to try to be safe," I recited. "I'll do the laundry tonight - that ought to be fraught with peril."

"Don't fall in," he mocked.

"I'll do my best."

With that I got out of the car.

and he was gone.

"You know, Dad..." I began, breaking into his reverie at dinner.

"What's that, Bell?"

"I think you're right about Seattle. I think I'll wait until Angelia or someone else can go with me."

"Oh," he said, surprised. "Oh, okay. So, do you want me to stay home?"

"No, Dad, don't change your plans. I've got a million things to do... you go and have fun."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, Dad.''

"You're sure easy to live with, Bella." He smiled.

"I could say the same thing about you," I said,

I was relieved when it was late enough to be acceptable for bedtime, and I gladly sank into unconsciousness.

I woke early, having slept soundly and dreamlessly. I dressed in a rush,

smoothing my collar against my neck, fidgeting with the tan sweater till it hung right over my jeans. I sneaked a swift look out the window to see that Charlie was already gone.

I ate breakfast, hurrying to clean up when I was done. I peeked out the window again, but nothing had changed. I had just finished brushing my teeth and was heading back downstairs when I saw he was standing there, at the bottom of the steps.

He was smiling. But then his expression changed as he glanced at me, so I could see what he was saying,

"Good morning," he chuckled.

"What's wrong?" I glanced down to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything important, like shoes, or pants.

"nothing. I hope you don't mind me coming in , I just well . . . er knew there was no point in knocking" He said.

''oh no its fine.'' I reassured.

I locked the door behind me while he walked to the truck. He waited by the passenger door with a martyred expression that was easy to understand.

"We made a deal," I reminded him smugly, climbing into the driver's seat, and reaching over to unlock his door.

"Where to?" I asked.

"Put your seat belt on - I'm nervous already."

I gave him a dirty look as I complied.

"Where to?" I repeated with a sigh.

he told me where to go, which directions to take.

It was surprisingly difficult to concentrate on the road while feeling his gaze on my face. I compensated by driving more carefully than usual through the still-sleeping town. We were soon out of the town limits, despite his negativity. Thick underbrush and green-swathed trunks replaced the lawns and houses. We got there eventually and I turned to look at him.

"We're hiking?" Thank goodness I'd worn tennis shoes.

"Is that a problem?" He looked as if he'd expected as much.

"No."

"Don't worry, it's only two miles or so, and we're in no hurry."

''Where are we going?'' I would follow him anywhere but he didn't need to know that.

"It's a place I like to go when the weather is nice." We both glanced out the windows at the thinning clouds after he spoke.

''does anyone know your with me.'' he said as we closed the car doors, good thing I was looking at him.

"That depends... I assume you told Alice?"

"That's very helpful, Bella," he said really fast, if I wasn't such a good lip reader I wouldn't have got it.

so I pretended I didn't see that.  
**  
**''unbelievable'' he said so fast I barely caught it. I laughed.

''what?'' he asked unleashing the full power of his eyes on me. I looked back at his lips.

I shook my head. ''nothing, it's just sometimes it seems like you forget I can read lips and I'm deaf.'' I sighed. Not that I wanted him to treat me differently.

''well you act so normal, sometimes I just forget'' he shrugged.

"This way," he said, He started into the dark forest.

"I won't let you get lost." He turned then so I could see, with a mocking smile, He stared at me, bewildered by my tortured expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked,

"I'm not a good hiker," I answered simply. "You'll have to be very patient."

"I can be patient - if I make a great effort." He smiled, holding my glance, trying to lift me out of my sudden, unexplained dejection.

I tried to smile back, but the smile was unconvincing. He scrutinized my face.  
He gave up after a moment and led the way into the forest. I followed.

For the most part, we walked without talking. Occasionally he would ask a random question that he hadn't gotten to in the past two days of interrogation. He asked about my birthdays, my grade school teachers, my childhood pets - and I had to admit that after killing three fish in a row, I'd given up on the whole institution. He laughed at that,

After several hours, The day had turned sunny, just as he'd foretold. For the first time since we'd entered the woods, I felt a thrill of excitement - which quickly turned to impatience.

"Are we there yet?" I teased, pretending to scowl.

"Nearly." He smiled at the change in my mood. "Do you see the brightness ahead?"

I could definitely see a lightening in the trees ahead, I picked up the pace, my eagerness growing with every step. He let me lead now, following noiselessly.

I reached the edge of the pool of light and stepped through the last fringe of ferns into the loveliest place I had ever seen. The waterfall was small, perfectly round, and surrounded with wildflowers I walked slowly, through the soft grass, swaying flowers, and warm, gilded air. I halfway turned, wanting to share this with him, but he wasn't behind me where I thought he'd be. I spun around, searching for him with sudden alarm. Finally I spotted him, still under the dense shade of the canopy at the edge of the hollow, watching me with cautious eyes. Only then did I remember what the beauty of the meadow had driven from my mind - the enigma of Edward and the sun, which he'd promised to illustrate for me today.

I took a step back toward him, my eyes alight with curiosity. His eyes were wary, reluctant. I smiled encouragingly and beckoned to him with my hand, taking another step back to him. He held up a hand in warning, and I hesitated, rocking back onto my heels.

Edward seemed to take a deep breath, and then he stepped out into the bright glow of the midday sun. and oh my god, he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my whole life. I wanted to touch him, it was amazing, I couldn't believe my eyes, his skin was sparkling. Wow.

**So sorry it's so late I just had writers block, very few parts were taken from the book 95% of it was me. but like I said I was stuck, does anyone have any ideas what twists I could do for next chapter, and I will upload faster this time, sorry. Check out my new story 'secrets are a curse' :( anyway review thank you. ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**


	19. Chapter 19: THE TRUTH IS OUT

**Chapter 19: THE TRUTH IS OUT**

His skin was white and literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his chest. I enjoyed the sun, too,

His quick smile turned up the corners of his flawless lips.

"I don't scare you?" he asked playfully.

"No more than usual." I still don't know why he thought I would be afraid of sparkles, I mean really?

He smiled wider; his teeth flashed in the sun. but something was there, he was holding something back, like he wanted to speak, ask me something, I think I knew what, but could I really tell him, looking back I proubley exaggerated it, barely anyone knew about Phil . I winced at the thought of his name and shuddered, ok so what he did was unforgivable.

"Tell me what you're thinking," I looked to see his eyes watching me, suddenly intent. "It's still so strange for me, not knowing."

"You know, the rest of us feel that way all the time."

"It's a hard life, But you didn't tell me."

"I was wishing I could know what you were thinking..." I hesitated.

"And?"

I took a deep breath looking right at his lips. Don't go near the eyes, I told myself ''is there something, you wanted to say.'' I blurted out.

He sighed and hesitated ''I was just wondering . . .'' he trailed off.

''yes'' I urged.

''why you weren't eating properly.'' Should I tell him the truth? He would proubley pull it out of me anyway, but I want to put it off for as long as possible.

''I guess I have had a lot on my mind, I don't feel like it I'm never hungry. I never really noticed anything.'' I shrugged, I was filled with pain and secrets instead of hunger, and I hated it I absolutely hated it, but there was nothing I could do about it. I don't know if there was anything anyone could do anymore.

''that's a lie, you're a really bad liar don't you trust me?'' he questioned, damn his eyes. I nodded.

''won't you tell me'' I sighed. Stare at the mouth, not the eyes.

''it's complicated.''

''I'm sure I can keep up'' crap.

''did I ever tell you my mom got remarried?'' why was I asking? I already knew I didn't, I hadn't told anybody ever.

He shook his pretty little head. ''well she did, when I was 7, he was nice, until they came back from the honey moon.'' I looked away, I didn't know if he was speaking so I continued.

''his name was Phil Dwyer'' I shivered at his name ''he was on a minor baseball team. They got married they were happy, while they were on the honey moon I was at my Nabors house, when they collected me, only I could tell something was wrong, mom had been crying, it was only when we got home when I noticed the bruises on her arms.'' I looked back at Edward as understanding dawned on him. Then a murderous look crossed his face.

''Bella did he ever hit you?'' I looked away, I had never talked about this before, Charlie knew but we never talked about it, me and mom didn't either. He put his hand on my chin forcing me to look at him.

''Bella did he ever hit you?'' he repeated, my eyes filled with tears and I nodded.

''not much, just a few times, but he got mom every day. One day when I was nine, he pushed me down the stairs I was fine apart from I bashed my head open and blacked out, mom took me to hospital and reported the abuse, Phil was jailed for seven years.''

Through the tears I saw him ask. ''why wasn't it on your file.'' I shrugged, he was getting angrier.

''that must have gotten lost, because if it hadn't Carlisle would have seen I was deaf and you would have read his mind, and found out sooner.''

''wait how does this have anything to do with you not eating.'' I took in a long shaky breath.

''em well it's hard, Phil wouldn't give us food for a few days, and I guess I just haven't gotten used to eating normally.'' Or I didn't want to put on weight.

''why did it take two years for your mom to report him?''

''he would never leave us alone, mom home schooled me, so he was always there when he went to practice, he made us go with him, he took her car key's so she couldn't even go to the store without him, he threatened her all the time, and I can't really remember but I'm pretty sure he had a gun.''

''Bella, I'm sorry.''

''it's fine''

''what aren't you telling me.'' how does he do that?

''how do you do that?'' I ask

I saw him chuckle. '' do what?''

I shrugged, ''know something's wrong, no though really I'm fine.'' I looked down,

He forced my head back up '' tell me'' he pleaded.

''no . . .'' I said, now _that _I wasn't ready for.

''Isabella, you are my world now, just the thought of you in pain brings me pain, please tell me why you're in pain, maybe I can help.''

"You are an idiot," I said with a laugh. Our eyes met, and he laughed, too.

"And so the lion fell in love with the lamb..." he said I looked away,

"What a stupid lamb," I sighed, looking back up so I could tell if he was speaking.

"What a sick, masochistic lion." He stared into the shadowy forest for a long moment, and I wondered where his thoughts had taken him.

His face drifted to the side, his nose skimming across my collarbone. He came to rest with the side of his face pressed tenderly against my chest.

Listening to my heart.

"Ah," he sighed.

I don't know how long we sat without moving. It could have been hours. I couldn't think of anything, except that he was touching me. And then, too soon, he released me. His eyes were peaceful.

"Here." He took my hand and placed it against his cheek. "Do you feel how warm it is?"

And it was almost warm, his usually icy skin. But I barely noticed, for I was touching his face, something I'd dreamed of constantly since the first day I'd seen him.

We sat like that for a while, I could see the light was fading, and I sighed.

"You have to go."

"I thought you couldn't read my mind."

"It's getting clearer.'' He took my shoulders and I looked into his face.

"Can I show you something?" he asked, sudden excitement flaring in his eyes.

"Show me what?"

"I'll show you how I travel in the forest."

"Will you turn into a bat?" I asked warily. He just laughed,

"Come on, climb on my back."

"I'm a bit heavier than your average backpack," I warned. When I was on

And then he was running.

If I'd ever feared death before in his presence, it was nothing compared to how I felt now.

I was too terrified to close my eyes, I felt the dizzy faintness of motion sickness.

Then it was over. We'd hiked hours this morning to reach the water fall, and now, in a matter of minutes, we were back to the truck.

He stood motionless, waiting for me to climb down. I tried, but my muscles wouldn't respond. My arms and legs stayed locked around him while my head spun uncomfortably.

"I think I need to lie down," I gasped.

"I think I need help," I admitted.

"How do you feel?" he asked. He asked as I sat down on a rock.

I couldn't be sure how I felt when my head was spinning so crazily. "Dizzy, I think."

But after a minute I was fine, ''OK I'm fine.''

And then his cold, marble lips pressed very softly against mine.

it was only for a few seconds but I was breathless- again.

I kept my eyes on his, watched as the excitement in them faded and gentled.

"I'm driving." He decided, and for once I didn't argue. I nodded.

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. '' you're not even going to try to argue?'' I shook my head again.

He grinned, took the keys off me and opened the passenger door for me

once I was in he turned to look at me, and I knew what was coming.

''now Bella tell me, please I only want to help, I hate seeing you in pain, what are you hiding?'

I took a deep breath and swallowed hard, looking out the window as I told him. ''Phil . . .''

**Phil what? What more could he have done? Anyone have any guesses? So sorry I haven't up dated in a while, please check out my new story UNTOUCHABLE here's the summery: **

_ALL HUMAN: Bella is the nerd of Forks high. Or is she? Not everything is as it seems. The Cullen's start acting weird around her, while everyone else ignores her. Bella is full of horrible secrets; she just wants to scream at people. but she doesn't, because she can't, her parents are always fighting, and it's usually about her, they know something's wrong, but what? EXB RXE JXA :)xxx_

**Please review, if no one reviews I think no one is reading, and reviews help me write thank you. ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**


	20. Chapter 20: CANT SLEEP

**Chapter 20: CAN'T SLEEP**

**EPOV**

I was so enraged with this evil psychopath, he ruined her childhood, and hurt her and one of the only people she had ever loved. While I think about it, he was jailed for seven years, he got out last year, and the scum was walking this earth, while Renee wasn't, if I ever ran into the sorry peace of man, well he wouldn't be walking this earth anymore, it took all the will power I had to turn those people in port Angelis into the cops and not kill them right there. But it was different; Phil had hurt her and her mother for two years, if I ever saw him I would kill him, just like I did for Esme with Charles Evenson, he was the only human I had killed I didn't feel remorse for, only this time with Phil it would be different, I didn't want any of _his_ horrible blood, in me.

She took a deep breath and swallowed hard, looking out the window as she told me. ''Phil . . .'' and she stopped. What more could he have done, despite the fact we were driving slower than a snail, we were at her house, I looked over at her only to see she was silently crying, my chest tightened, and if I had to breathe it would be hard to.

She had been through so much in her life, having no friends before now, living with being deaf, the mental and physical abuse she and her mother suffered, then dealing with her mother dyeing, seeing her dead body, moving to a strange town, with a dad she barely knows, finding out the only person she knew here that was around her age was a werewolf, having said evil werewolf brake her wrist, risking her life every day because she fell in love with a blood thirsty vampire, because a blood thirsty vampire fell in love with her, and now whatever else Phil had done, he didn't deserve to live.

I pulled her over to me and sat her on my lap as she cried, I quickly, got out with her and brought her in the house, I couldn't hear Charlie anywhere near the house, or read his mind, but I knew he must be close. So I brought her up to her room and sat in the rocking chair in the corner, it was easier to be this close to her now, I soothed her, after around ten munities she calmed down.

''I'm sorry, I ruined your shirt'' she apologized blushing, I held my breath, just in case. But laughed as she looked at me.

''it's OK. And you shouldn't be sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you, if you're not ready to talk about it . . .''

''it's fine you were just trying to help.' She brushed it off. but then her stomach growled at me, she obviously didn't hear it, but she felt it and she wrapped her arms around herself.

I was so annoyed at myself, here I was all day complaining on about how she didn't eat, and I completely forgot to feed her.

"I'm sorry; I've never spent much time around anyone who eats food. I forget."

we went downstairs and she got her dinner, she called it lasagna, I call it, well I don't really know what to call it, mush, it smells horrible, on the bright side it masked some of her sent.

she suddenly asked me something. ''how did you get in? was the door unlocked?'' oh crap, how to phrase this so I don't sound like a stalker, ok whatever way I say this, I will sound like a stalker.

''I used the key under the eave,'' she raised an eyebrow at me, I shrugged my shoulders ''what else is there to do at night.'' I sound like a creep.

"How often?" she asked casually, looking right at me.

''what'' how often what?

"How often did you come here?"

"I come here almost every night."

"Why?" she looked completely stunned.  
**  
**"You're interesting when you sleep." I spoke matter-of-factly. "You talk."

"No!" she gasped in horror, heat flooding her face all the way to her hairline. Oh no, I've gone too far, she thinks I'm a stalker, a pervert, what if she aske's me to go? To leave her, well maybe it would be for the best . . . for her, but she's all that matters to me anymore.

"Are you very angry with me?" I ask, praying she's not, but at the same time praying she is.

"That depends!".

I waited for her to continue.

"On?" I urged, when she didn't say anything.

"What you heard!" she wailed, it was the loudest I had ever heard her talk. She was upset, and embarrassed.

Instantly, I was at her side, taking her hands carefully in mine.

"Don't be upset!" I pleaded. I dropped my face to the level of her eyes, holding her gaze.

"You miss your mother," I whispered.

"Anything else?" she demanded, I laughed, and she was too cute.

"You did say my name," I admitted, grinning at the memory, I was going to go, for good, so I visited her, she said my name and I couldn't go, I just couldn't.

"A lot?" she asked.

"How much do you mean by 'a lot,' exactly?"

"Oh no!"

I pulled her against my chest, softly, naturally, and it did feel natural, she fit perfectly in my arms, I never wanted to let her go. And I didn't know if I could ever let her go, but I couldn't change her. Could I? no that's not me, I wouldn't want to damn her to this never ending life.

Then I heard the sound of tires on the brick driveway, saw the headlights flash through the front windows, down the hall to us. I was so distracted I didn't even hear Charlie's fuzzy thoughts.

Bella ate her mush as fast as she could, I could see her through Charlie's thoughts, it roused suspicions in Charlie

"In a hurry?" he asked a little suspicious, he was worried his little girl was going to sneak out to meet a boy

"Yeah, I'm tired. I'm going to bed early." She replayed, quickly scrubbed her dishes clean.

"It's Saturday," he mused, but her back was turned.

when she did turn he asked her. "No plans tonight?"

"No, Dad, I just want to get some sleep." Was all she said.

"None of the boys in town your type, eh?" He was suspicious, but trying to play it cool.

"No, none of the boys have caught my eye yet." What did that mean? Once again I find myself wishing I could read her mind. Even for a day, just to get in there, to see what goes on in it. Sigh, I never would.

"I thought maybe that Mike Newton... you said he was friendly." I growled at Newton's name, if only I could get those disturbing fantasies out of my head. Ugh.

"He's Just a friend, Dad." I let out an un needed breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Well, you're too good for them all, anyway. Wait till you get to college to start looking." Every father's dream that his daughter will be out of the house before the hormones kick in, and he didn't want his baby to grow up.

she didn't respond she just headed up the stairs.

_Better listen carefully all night, I'm sure she will try to sneak out why else would she be in such a hurry?_ Charlie thought. she walked in the door, and stood there awkwardly staring at me.

"Why don't you sit with me," I suggested, to ease the tension. She sat down and after a minute she spoke.

"Can I have a minute to be human?" she asked.

"Certainly." I said even though I wish she would stay.

"Stay," she demanded me.

"Yes, ma'am." I become a statue on the edge of her bed.

She grabbed her things, and went into the bathroom. 

I heard her turn on the shower and Alice's thoughts filled my head. _Hey Eddie_ and then she was standing in front of me. _I knew you could do it. _She beamed at me.

''Thanks Alice, when did your vision set?'' I wondered for how long she had known I wouldn't kill Bella.

''when she told you about Phil.'' Alice looked away I gasped, she knew.

''Alice what is it please tell me, what is it, I just want to help her, please.'' I begged. She shook her head,

''Edward really, you can't help her with this, you can comfort her, tell her it's OK, but she has to tell you, it's just something, she has to tell you,'' she was blocking her thoughts from me.

''fine, I suppose she should tell me, when she's ready. When will she be ready?'' I ask.

''soon Eddie boy, soon,'' and she was gone, exactly one second later the shower shut off.

after a minute, she came in to the room wearing a holey t-shirt and gray sweatpants. It was so Bella, and I loved it.

"Nice." I commented on her outfit

she grimaced.

"No, it looks good on you." I argued I loved it; it would just be strange if she was wearing Victoria's Secret silk pajamas or something.

"Thanks," she whispered, going back to my side, sitting cross-legged beside me. She looked at the wooden floor.

"It seems to be... much easier for you, now, to be close to Me." she said looking up, I laughed.

"Does it seem that way to you?" I murmured, my hand brushed her damp hair back, so that my lips could touch the hollow beneath her ear.

"Much, much easier," she said.

"Hmm."

She pulled back; as she moved, I froze - and I stopped breathing. Her sent mixed with water was overpowering me, I was just caught off guard, I thought as I exhaled.

"But how can it be so easy now?" she pressed, continuing the subject, to distract me. "This afternoon..."

"It's not easy," I sighed. "But this afternoon, I was still... undecided. I am sorry about that; it was unforgivable for me to behave so."

"Not unforgivable," she disagreed, I grinned like an idiot.

"Thank you, you see, I wasn't sure if I was strong enough..." I picked up one of her warm fragile hands and pressed it lightly to my face. "And while there was still that possibility that I might be... overcome, I was... susceptible. Until I made up my mind that I was strong enough, that there was no possibility at all that I would... that I ever could..."

"So there's no possibility now?"

"Mind over matter," I said, smiling.

"And it will be harder tomorrow," I continued. "I've had the scent of you in my head all day, and I've grown amazingly desensitized. If I'm away from you for any length of time, I'll have to start over again. Not quite from scratch, though, I think."

"Don't go away, then," she responded, could an unbeating heart beat again? It felt like mine could. She trusted me enough to stay with her, she wanted me to stay with her.

"That suits me," I replied, smiling.

. "I haven't seen you like this before."

"Isn't it supposed to be like this?" I smiled. "The glory of first love, and all that. It's incredible, isn't it, the difference between reading about something, seeing it in the pictures, and experiencing it?"

"Very different," she agreed. "More forceful than I'd imagined."

"The first night I came here. I wrestled all night, while watching you sleep, with the chasm between what I knew was right, moral, ethical, and what I wanted. I knew that if I continued to ignore you as I should, or if I left for a few years, till you were gone, that someday you would say yes to Mike, or someone like him. It made me angry.

"And then," I whispered, "as you were sleeping, you said my name. You spoke so clearly, at first I thought you'd woken. But you rolled over restlessly and mumbled my name once more, and sighed. The feeling that coursed through me then was unnerving, staggering. And I knew I couldn't ignore you any longer."  
_She better be here_ I hear Charlie as he trudges up the stair's ''lie down'' I tell her I turned off her light and disappeared into her wardrobe.

A long minute passed. She wouldn't have herd the door close, I turned the light back on and them before I knew what I was doing, my arm was around her, under the covers.

"You are a terrible actress - I'd say that career path is out for you." I say as she turned to look at me.

"Darn it," she says.

"Are you ready to sleep?" I asked, interrupting the short silence.

She yawned involuntarily.

"I'm not sure if I can."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No!" she said too loudly.

I laughed, as she fell asleep in my arms.

**BPOV**

_It seemed so real, I was sure it was real, I was in the indoor swimming pool in Phoenix, when I was 5 I almost drowned in here, I had to be rescued by a lifeguard, there was outdoor lights shining in it just made bits of the building light up, it was the only light in here, I was in the pool, struggling to stay afloat, it was weird I could see me, like I was just floating above my struggling body, what was haunting though was there was a growing cloud of my blood flowing around me, it kept growing, I was going under water, and coming back up, gasping for air, from what I could tell I let out a loud scream, there was movement to my right, I spun around, I could see some kind of white blur, then blackness again, I turned back to the struggling me, to my horror the white blur was above me, only it wasn't a white blur, but a person. They picked up my frail body and through me through the big glass window._

_There was glass and blood everywhere, my body was about to hit the glass covered pavement when the white blur of a person caught me and through me back into the pool, I was barely alive when the person looked to be whispering something in my ear, which was weird because it was pointless, but he didn't pull away. When I realised what was happening, I let out the loudest scream I could, I just hoped it was loud enough, but I'm pretty sure it was loud, the man turned away from the limp me and looked directly at me. I screamed even more when I saw his face, it was his face, the same hair and everything, but his eyes, his blood red eyes were different, and those two haunting blood red eyes were the last thing I remember before, he lunged at me, and I screamed once more going under the water._

I woke with a start, tears streaming down my face, I registered it was mourning out, but I also registered the fact I was crying onto Edwards shirt while one of his arms was around my waist, the other stroking my head trying to calm me down, I cried harder as the blood red eyes flashed through my memory.

Once I could talk again I looked at him.

''Bella are you alright? What am I saying of coerce you're not. You started screaming and wouldn't wake up. Do you want to talk about it?'' he asked, I had to tell him.

''not really, but I think I will.'' He waited for me to go on.

''Phil . . .'' I stopped.

''Phil . . .'' he edged me on.

''Phil was the one . . .'' I chocked back a sob.

''The one?'' he asked confused.

''The one, the truck driver, the drunk truck driver that killed my mom.''

''oh Bella I'm so sorry, that means he's in jail though right?'' he says.

I shake my head. ''No, he got away, they took him to hospital after the accident to get checked out, and he just disappeared.'' I cried.

''Bella it's OK, I won't let him near you, OK, trust me, he will never hurt you again.''

All I could do was nod, because I knew Edward would protect me but I also knew Edward or no Edward, Phil would find me, and when he did it would not end well, I just didn't know which one it would end badly for, because nobody stops Phil, he gets what he wants, and I know he wants me.

**HI so how do you like? Who do you think the strange pale man with the blood red eyes is? Remember not everything is as it seems, it mightn't be the most obvious person. I will try to update soon but I have exams all next week, and I need to study, so next update will be no later than Saturday the 16****th****, so sorry, I know it's a while away.**

**If anyone has any suggestions as to what they think should happen in the next chapter please feel free to let me know, I update faster with reviews. So review, please and I'll see you soon. # don't forget to check out my new story called **UNTOUGHABLE. **I will update this story first though because it's my 1****st**** ever fan fiction and it will be sad to see it go.**

**I am thinking about a sequel, it will have completally nothing to do with New Moon, because to be honest depressed Bella just makes me depressed, honestly don't know how SM wrote that, I could barely read it. So what do you think about a sequel? And it will be a very strange but cool one at that. ;)xxx**

**RLA ;)xxx**


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